


Longum iter in domum suam

by AerwynaNoir



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Anorexia, Evil Albus Dumbledore, Gen, James Potter Bashing, James Potter Lives, Lily Evans Potter Bashing, Lily Evans Potter Lives, Magically Powerful Harry Potter, Mentor Severus Snape, Ravenclaw Harry Potter, Self Harm, Severus Snape Adopts Harry Potter, Smart Harry, Snape is not a deatheater, Wrong Boy-Who-Lived (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2019-09-30 14:31:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 45,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17225801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AerwynaNoir/pseuds/AerwynaNoir
Summary: Longum iter in domum suam - (latin) A long way home.Harry Potter, the forgotten one, the neglected one, the unwanted. His twin Leo Potter, the boy-who-lived, hero, loved, wanted. Fate changes when at the age of six, Harry never makes it to his aunt's house but who has taken him in? And what does it mean for the rest of the world?





	1. Ut id incipit

**Author's Note:**

> Not mine belongs to a rich blond. Too bad I'm not rich nor blond.  
> So I have had this story bouncing around in my head for a while, inspired by many different Harry Potter fanfics out there. Given that this is my first fanfic, please be gentle!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ut id incipit - (latin) How it started

Tom Riddle, dark lord extraordinaire had a problem. There was a decision he had to make, and for the health of his justifiable reign, he had to make the right choice. The boggart in his closet is simple, a prophecy has been made a year ago, and he was the target. A child has been prophesied to defeat him, and the worst part, his faithful servant Pettigrew only heard part of it before being discovered. A mere CHILD would defeat him, Lord Voldemort the greatest wizard of all time, a child born as the seventh month dies, is an absurd thought. However, as he stood and thought about the prophecy, about the child born to parents who thrice defied him, and astonishingly lived to tell the tale, to his consternation there were three candidates. 

First, born the earliest on the thirtieth of July was Neville Longbottom, the heir of Alice and Frank Longbottom, two of the peskiest minions of Albus Dumbledore and battle-hardened aurors to boot. The two pain-in-the-arses have annoyed him the last time, as just last week – Voldemort smirked – one of his most faithful, Bellatrix Lestrange was just a little too thorough while persuading them for information, and with their current location a highly secure, long-term unit in the Janus Thickey Ward, mindless sheeple after a little too long under the Cruciatus, their precious sprog is now ripe for picking under the care of an elderly grandmother. But the question still remained, was he the one?

Second was Leo Fleamont Potter, the elder of the pair of potter twins, born at 11.39pm, he was born twenty minutes before his younger brother, was a seemingly better victim, considering he was popped out closer to the changing of the month; the death of July. Third, was Harry James Potter, the younger of the pair born exactly on 11.59pm. (Sometimes, Voldemort thinks that his brilliance is never-ending, especially in his ability to attract useful slaves, like Pettigrew, who not only gave him the prophecy but also delivered the Potter twins on a silver platter) The twins born to not only head girl and head boy of their time, but half-bloods themselves, which as much as he tried to forget, the most powerful in this century, himself, Albus Dumbledore, and Severus Snape are all half-bloods. 

To him, the simple solution was to get rid of them all, and so as he stood outside the supposedly protected cottage at Godric’s Hollow that used to used house generations of Dumbledores, but now houses the newest generation of Potters, he couldn’t help but smirk at the idiocy of his adversaries. With the rat as their secret keeper, the house no longer repelled the greatest warlock of all time. The parents themselves were off on a romantic dinner, by the cunning planning of dark lord, the only living beings in the house were Pettigrew himself and of course the twins. The mutt and the wolf were off occupied by the full moon herself. (Don’t you just love convenient timings?)

He glided smoothly into the house, even gravity yielding to his might, with a traitor enveloped close to their chest, the powerful wards and protections that enveloped the hovel did not even slow him down. With the door opened by the soon to be deceased rat – Voldemort hated traitors, and once the prophecy is rendered void, the rat would make a wonderful meal for his beloved familiar, a fitting end for the snivelling rat – he spared no thought for bowing slave as he levitated towards the nursery, his black cape billowing behind him. (The door to the nursery proved not to be an obstacle to his greatest, with Wormtail not only opening the door for him but making sure it was a straight path to the cribs. Sometimes thought Lord Voldemort, you have to bow down to his greatness to think of getting servants, especially ones as spineless and as willing to please as the rat). There in gory Gryffindor red and gold (seriously, do the entire house of lions have no sense of colour? Are they all colour blind?) were the two little suckers, both with gravity-defying sable hair. 

To his disdain, the two gormless dunderheads were both asleep, well that was an easy fix, with a flick of his wand both were levitated in front of him and silenced. Both immediately were lifted out of sleep (Get it? Voldemort internally smirked, he is funny, but what else do you expect out of the greatest warlock of all time, he was simply the best at everything) two pairs of eyes immediately stared at him, one was glowing Avada Kedavra green, the other a plain mud brown. Hazel eyes immediately starting crying, squirming in the air, turning an ugly red. Voldemort, who thought it was beneath him to really figure out which gutter rat is which, guessed that this one was Harry James, for the other with the emerald eyes looked at him with no fear at all in his eyes, for it was only obvious the younger was most likely the gutless one, while the older played at protector. (How cute, too bad both are about to meet their maker). While he put very little up to chance, (he was not a betting man thank you very much) if one of the two was to “defeat” him, it would be it, the dunce that was staring defiantly back at him, the Potter with the verdant green eyes. 

With a smirk on his face, a flick of his wand, the beautiful green light shot out, ready to claim witless. And yet, just seconds from touching his forehead, a white fire flashed into being, and to his immense shock, the curse rebounded. With his ruby eyes saucer-wide, and his jaw just about near the floor (not that he will ever admit it even on the pain of death), Tom Marvolo Riddle could only stand there in shock as his own magic turned on him, forcing his soul to leave his body (but not this dimension) and the white flame quickly turning his body into ash. 

As the soul of the Voldemort fled from the crumbling house, with the rat following behind, the magic that kept both babies levitated failed, and both fell to the floor, and while the green eyed baby was quickly knocked out, the brown eyed was given a deep cut on his check by the falling pieces of roof around them. By the time the solid concrete ceiling gave away to the starry sky, two frantic figures appeared, with two identically loud cracks, being informed what had happened in their cottage from not only the dozens of wards tripped by the collapse, but also by the frantic Phoenix Patronus. Identical screams of “Leo!” and “Harry!” rang out as they ran across the remains of their house, following the loud cries of one of their sons.


	2. Poena metusque

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poena metusque - (Latin) Pain and Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry: The writer would like to inform you that not a single piece of the Harry Potter universe belongs to her, she is just playing with us.  
> Harry: Did I get that right Aerwyna?  
> Aerwyna: Yes Cub, now run off, Sev is looking for you  
> Harry runs off, offscreen. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING  
> Okay real talk guys, this chapter starts talking about touchy issues such as child neglect and self-harm (and for self-harm, it is pretty graphic, please do not read if you are sensitive). Please if you face any of these issues, do reach out for help immediately. You are not alone, and you don't have to be. Please please do talk to someone.

Harry Potter, the younger twin to the boy who lived sat quietly in his room, as the chaos of the birthday party rang around him. His twin, Leo, turned five today, and so did he, but while Leo was downstairs surrounded by presents and mountains of food, he was here in a dark corner of his room, trying his best not to cry. _Forgotten_ , he was forgotten again, what was new, ever since Leo had defeated Tom Riddle on their first Halloween, he had tossed aside like yesterday's’ rubbish, not worthy, not enough for his parent’s affection.

 Tightly, he gripped a glass shard that he had found yesterday, feeling it stab sharply into his palm. The pain centred him, allowing him to centre himself and made him feel that much more alive.   _Dare he?_ Dare he drag that piece of glass across his wrist? Quietly he sucked in a deep breath, as he placed the glass shard near his wrist. _Just a little harder,_ a little more and he would draw blood, _just a little more_ release was within his grasp.

 “Harry! Pup! Where are you!” The familiar sounds of his godfather’s voice pierced his rumination. Shaking his head, as he heard the pounding of Padfoot’s footsteps come closer to his door, he quickly slid the glass shard into his pocket. Plastering on a smile, he kept his feet and opened his door as Padfoot slid to a stop in front of his door. He felt arms go around him as he quickly lost contact with the floor.

 “Hey Pup! Happy birthday! Why are you hiding in the dark?” Padfoot’s concerned voice quickly pierced his eardrums as he was carried quickly towards the ballroom of Potter Manor - where the locus of the party resided - “You okay, pup?” The quiet concern of one of the last people on earth that still cared about him nearly broke his resolve not to break into tears, shakily he nodded his head and followed his godfather into the ballroom. “I found the other birthday boy!!” Announced his entry into the busy ballroom, much to his mortification, his parents directed a quick death glare towards him, while the rest of the room quickly froze and glanced towards him (If he had a hole right now he would be totally jumping into it, screw that maybe jumping off a building might be a better idea), quickly he was ushered towards the table holding the cake. Standing next to his twin, he stoically ignored his foot being crushed -by his twin could you believe that?- and blew out the five broomsticked-shaped candles on the dragon-shaped three-tiered cake with his twin to the sounds of a horrible off-key happy birthday being sung. Soon after he picked up the knife and handed it towards his twin while keeping half the handle for himself in order to cut the cake together.

 As quickly as the knife hit the plater the cake was being served on, he was quickly shoved aside, as Lily and James Potter cooed over Leo. _Unwanted again……_ Harry lowered his head and quickly blended into the background, hoping that amidst the chaos he could slip away undetected and unhindered. Unbidden, his tears escaped his control, as he slunk away.

* * *

 James Potter was having the time of his life, his son, Leo Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, was having his fifth birthday. Leo being the Boy Wonder who brought down the darkest warlord of all time had brought Leo and by extension him unlimited fame and money, and as long as Leo kept bringing in the fame, James decided, he will want for nothing. Smirking, he strode towards Minister Millicent Bagnold, hoping that reporters will get his best angles while he was making nice with the old hag (Sometimes, he really thought that talking to her was too much effort, but then again, she brought with her an immense amount of political power, and who would say no to more power? Not him for sure.)

 Suddenly a hush fell across the hall, as the familiar voice of his best friend rang out across the hall announcing the arrival of his useless other son. (Why couldn’t he have had only one son? Harry Potter was not only a useless squib but a complete waste of time, why couldn’t he have died at birth? And why on earth does Padfoot still care about that useless runt? He was nothing but a burden that’s for sure!) James quickly directed his best death glare at his son, _how dare he_ come here and ruin Leo’s birthday. Pasting on his best fake smile, he roughly shoved the runt towards the cake, knowing that Padfoot would not accept anything less, and grinned and bore it as he watched as his son and the squib blow out and cut the cake together. As soon as it was over, he pushed the worthless runt aside, in order to assist Leo in distributing and cutting up the rest of the cake, quickly putting the presence of the Freak out of his mind.

* * *

 Back in Harry’s bedroom, the atmosphere could not have been any more different, Harry once more sat in the dark, curled up upon himself, the only difference this time was that the tears that he had successfully suppressed the last time round had slipped his control and was now pouring unchecked down his checks. Rocking back and forth, he felt adrift and lost amidst the emotional pain he was drowning in, _no one wanted him around, no one bothered about him, he was simply worthless._ The glass shard viciously jabbed him in the hips, as he rocked back and forth, freezing him in his tracks - he had completely forgotten the existence of the shard! - unfurling he dug out the shard and held it in his hand. _Did he dare to?_ He had nothing to lose at this point, didn’t he? Quietly he brought the shard up to his wrist and stared. Biting his lip, he slashed wildly, while his cuts barely broke the skin, some still started to bleed sluggishly, sighing in relief his maelstrom of emotions calmed, overpowered by the real physical sensation of pain. “Happy Birthday Freak, this is the all that deserve.” He whispered to himself, smiling viciously at his new _presents._ Wiping his tears, he stared emotionlessly at his cuts, barely able to believe what he had just done to himself, quickly the guilt hit, _how could he have done this to himself?!_ Shaking his head to clear away his emotions, he quickly made a few more shallow cuts in order to calm his raging guilt. Chewing his bottom, he concentrated hard, hoping against hope that his magic would once again come to his rescue and disguise the damage from view. And before his very eyes, his skin rippled and changed, the cuts quickly disappearing from view, gasping he prodded at his skin, yet while he only felt the smooth skin, he felt the stabbing pain from the wounds that he had recently created. Grinning he stood up, at least one thing went his way for once.

 Padding over to his bed and quietly slid under the covers allowing the warm comfort of his second-hand red duvet to soothe him to sleep. Happy fifth birthday, Harry Potter……

* * *

 Far far away, beyond the stars, a tear quietly dripped down the ethereal face of the Lady Magic, as she watched one of her Chosen drowning quietly in his pain. She reached down and stroked his check, weaving a cocoon of magic around her Chosen, chasing away the nightmares that surrounded his subconscious, if she couldn’t guard his day, she will make sure his night will be peaceful.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, some of you may be thinking that five is a little too young for someone to start self-harming, but the truth is that in our society today, the age of self-harmers get younger and younger, the youngest on record today is three years old. So I repeat, if ANYONE of you out there, be it yourself or someone you know is engaging in self-mutilation, please please do get help! You are not alone in this battle, you are never alone in this fight. Stay strong people.


	3. Primo Magicae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Primo Magicae - (latin) First magics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Severus: I'm only doing this because you have Harry understood? The author would like to inform you that this universe belongs to a rich blond, and she is not her. Now give me back my son!  
> Aerwyna hands over a giggling Harry and Severus snatches him up before cuddling the tiny eight-year-old.   
> Squeeee! Kid Harry is too cute 
> 
> Anyways more trigger warning in this chapter please be careful!

A thud told Lily Potter that all was decidedly not right with her baby. The screaming that followed did nothing for her racing heart, as she sped towards the playroom where she saw Leo last.  _ Please don’t be hurt _ , she prayed as she ran towards her son’s room. It was a week after Leo’s fifth birthday and only yesterday had Leo finally finished opening all his gifts and much to her distress, one of his gift was the latest broom for toddlers meant for children way above the age of 5. While Leo was a gifted flier evident from whenever James took him up together on James’ broom, he was still five and anything could have happened with a broom that was not meant for him. As she was running, she prayed desperately in her heart that the scream she had heard was nothing to do with falling off a speeding broom, but rather because of some silly trivial matter that bore no injury from her baby. 

Bursting into the playroom, what she saw stunned her to a standstill, there floating about a foot off her ground was her baby, the  _ dreaded  _ broom 15 feet above him. ( _ AN: you have got to love the high ceilings of ancient English manors huh _ ). Evidently, Leo  _ had  _ been flying his broom, even though she had expressly forbidden it, and  _ had _ fallen, but given his magical prowess, his accidental magic had come into play and stopped his fall a mere one feet before the concrete floor. Shaking herself out of her shock, she dashed forward and pulled Leo into her arms quickly checking him for any or all injuries, before hugging the life out him, while Leo stared at her bemusedly. “Mom! I did magic! Can I have a wand now! I want a wand!” Lily stared fondly at her son, promising him that she would talk to James about it, all the while pulling Leo out of the playroom towards the kitchen for some pistachio -Leo’s favourite-  ice cream. 

She never noticed a pair of green eyes in the corner, whose owner had his hand outstretched towards his brother, a look of utmost concentration on his face, and a magical aura too strong for a mere five-year-old. 

* * *

 

And so begun the magical and heir training of one Leo Fleamont Potter, the boy-who-lived. Leo had been put into lessons every other day and was given a wand made especially for him by Olivander, commissioned by Albus Dumbledore himself. While Leo received praise for every single small achievement he made, from learning the correct wand movement to pronouncing the spell words properly, Harry was pushed aside, barred from getting a wand and barred from lessons, and blamed every time Leo was unable to produce a spell. 

“James, Leo still can’t produce a Lumos even though it has been a little over two weeks, is it a little too early to begin to train him?” Lily whispered urgently to her husband as the couple stood quietly in the corner of the duelling room (Leo was using to train) observing their son, as he struggled to perform the Lumos charm under the guidance of one Albus Dumbledore. Harry, on the other hand, was locked into his room under the strict instructions that he was not to produce any sound, and not to call for them even if he were dying. “Nonsense darling, Albus himself had vouched for his magical prowess, it’s just that squib’s fault for constantly disturbing our little angel.” Upon hearing the words of James, Albus turned around and smiled benignly and asked the couple for the whereabouts of their other son, inwardly smirking at  _ his pawns _ and how easily they were falling into line and making his master plan follow suit. “Oh! He is out playing!” Albus almost laughed out in delight watching James Potter lie through his teeth about the whereabouts of Harry Potter, the useless twin of the Boy-Who-Lived and someone who was much too powerful to be allowed to flourish. Turning around he subtly placed into the mind of the Potter couple how Leo’s failure was all due to the undue influence the presence of Harry Potter brought about, and all but laughed as James left the room fuming. Harry bloody Potter will have problems sitting tonight. 

* * *

 

The aforementioned Harry Bloody Potter was sitting in the same dark corner of his room, where he had first taken the glass shard to his wrist, since then he had gotten deeper and much more desperate. Just yesterday, he had stolen a switchblade that he had found on James’s desk, and now he sat fingering the blade, wondering just how much more relief this much sharper blade would bring him, how much more of the life-giving fluid would spill from his now scarred wrist. His door banging open and the furious roar of the man that fathered him shocked him into action quickly sliding the knife under the ratty carpet that was nearby he jumped into attention and bowed his head the way his parents had demanded since the day also was declared the Savior. 

- _ flashback- _

_ It was 2 years since the defeat of the dark lord, and while Leo was happily eating a large breakfast of bacon and eggs in the living room with the rest of the family, Harry was quickly stuffing down a bowl was of dry cereal in the kitchen, he had been disallowed the privilege of eating with family and had been eating standing up in the kitchen for as long as he could remember. “Useless boy come here!” Came the loud voice of his Father, as he quickly scurried into the living room, dreading the confrontation, wondering what on earth had he done wrong this time.  _

_ “Today you are going to learn manners you useless squib and you better don’t forget about them or you are NOT going to like the consequences!!” Was all he heard before his body was manhandled painfully into the different positions that his  _ family _ deemed was important for him to know. _

_ -end flashback- _

“Punishment position two! You are going to learn the consequences of messing with Leo’s magic you pathetic freak!” Was all he heard, as he scrambled into place before his world exploded into pain.

* * *

 

Lightyears away, Lady Magic watched and mourned how far her disciples had fallen. She vowed that, while the Potter couple refused to educate her chosen, she would, and she would make sure consequences would befall the Potter couple and the wizard that dared to call himself the  _ great _ Albus Dumbledore. Quietly she sent magic to envelop the young wizard, lessening his pain and accelerating his healing, it was time that both her chosen meet each other, they both needed the other more than they could even possibly fathom.

* * *

 

From that day on, Harry had never experienced another pain free night, while his family had never been the kindest people, they had never been outright abusive, but as Leo continued to fail in creating the simplest of spells, his parents and Leo had been taking out their frustration on him, and in response, Harry had tried his best to turn invisible, and tried to be as perfect as possible hoping against hope that one day his parents would one day approve of him and would love him. 

* * *

 

_ 379 calories…. _ Harry silently calculated in his head as he poured out a minuscule portion of cereal into his chipped breakfast bowl. A house elf stood anxiously by as he watched the young master that the entire manors' elf clan adored above the rest poured smaller and smaller portions of cereal every morning. ( They were very worried, but unable to go against the orders of Master James in the neglectful and cruel treatment of their young master.) 

It was the morning after the twins’ sixth birthday, and as usual while Leo had enjoyed the attention of the adults and adoration of other children in their age group, Harry had been shut into his bedroom, locked in and silenced behind a silencing charm, only this time Sirius and Remus (both of whom had been happily bonded last June) where unable to come to his rescue, as while Uncle Padfoot had been sent on a mission out of town, Uncle Mooney had been detained by the moon, and had spent the majority of the day trapped in bed unable to muster up the strength to swing himself out of bed and to the twins’ birthday party. 

Today though, Harry could sense that something was wrong, there was a plan afoot. Since the day before, his parents had seemed to be plotting around him, and the wicked smirks that his brother kept sending his way bode unwell for him. Quietly he munched his breakfast as the sounds of his waking family slowly reached his ears. 

“Useless, go pack everything of yours, get your shit together and make sure you leave nothing behind to contaminate us.” Harry startled and stared at his Father in stunned silence, before scampering towards his room hoping to avoid being hit again for his slowness. Walking into his room, he received another shock, the house elves were scattered in room, some in tears others frowning as they silently help packed up his room for him, from his sketchbook, his books to his clothes have all been packed neatly for him into a bottomless backpack that he himself had enchanted from an old second-hand cloak that he had been given when he was younger. Elfie the head house elf walked over to Harry, before bowing and saying in a reedy voice, “Young Master, wes be listening to call of great lady, today, your fate bes changing, wes be declaring yous house elf friend, if yous ever be needings help, just be calling for any elfs. Wes bes listenings and wes always bes helpings!” Harry bowed in acceptance and bent down before hugging Elfie whispering to her his gratitude and how much he had appreciated her help throughout the years, of her care and her concern as he had been growing up. 

He was off to a new start it seemed, and for some reason, he could not shake the dread within hin. 

  
  



	4. Spes Inveniens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spes Inveniens - (Latin) Finding hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm done with disclaimers. For the last and final time, I do not own this series, I simply enjoy playing with JK's characters.

Albus Dumbledore could not be happier, his _pawns_ have obeyed his instructions and have fallen into place, they have agreed to send the too powerful for his own good freak to his _magic-hating_ aunt and uncle. By doing so, they will have effectively clipped Harry Potter’s wings, which will leave him not only clueless but also dependent, and there he will swop in with his _grandfatherly_ act and make sure that Harry Potter will bound and all of his magical power drained for the usage of _the greater good_. He stood disillusioned outside the Potter house he watched as James roughly manhandled the younger Potter son towards the end of the wards that protected the Potter Manor, he couldn’t help but smirk as he recalled how he subtly manipulated his minions into giving their son away.

_-Start Flashback-_

_“Ah James, my boy I need to speak to you about Harry. I think that due to Harry being in near constant contact with Leo, I think Leo is unable to concentrate on his lesson, for Leo is always distracted by his brother. My boy, I think even worse, I think that Harry may get a little jealous of his brother and may serve to be a problem. Leo has the fame and the power, and Harry is just a mere bystander. As much I love the boy, I think it may be kinder to both boys to send Harry away.”_

_James gained a malicious glint in his eye and turned towards his wife, “Lils, haven’t your sister always wanted another child? Don’t you think Harry would fit in perfectly with that quaint family?”_

_The grin that graced Lily Potter’s face would have forever given those men nightmare fuel for years._

_-End Flashback-_

Now, all that is left to do to gain all of the boy’s magical power is to _rescue_ him in five years. Albus Dumbledore could not wait.

* * *

 

Severus Snape could not believe his senses, his magic was relentlessly pulling him _somewhere_ , already twice today he had to stop himself from unconsciously walking towards the end of the wards. (Lady Magic smirked, as she increased the pull, urging Severus to go towards Number 4 Privet drive) “Nick, something is pulling at me somewhere, my magic is tingling. What should I do, Nick?” Severus asked his mentor and father figure Nicolas Flamel. Nicolas had saved him eleven years ago when he was mere fifteen-year-old had insulted his best friend. He was seduced by the darkness, but the apprenticeship offered by Nicolas Flamel, under his wife Perenelle Flamel, had saved him. Now he stood as the youngest potion master in the world and was ranked among the top ten potion masters globally, not only that he had become one of the most sought-after healers as well. The Flamels have taken him in at fifteen into their home, and have not only given him a brighter future but have saved him as well. If he were to be left with his alcoholic father any longer, without the reprieve that summers with Lily Even had given him, he could not have honestly said that he would not have taken his own life. And for that, the Flamels deserved his undying loyalty and gratitude.

“Son, follow the call when Lady Magic calls we can only follow.”

Severus nodded his head and followed the call of his magic. To his utmost surprise, his blind apparition had led him to a dull muggle neighbourhood. Rows upon rows of identical cottages set next to each other, all of them painted the same and stretched as far as the eye can see. He followed the almost insistent tugging of his magic and to his utmost surprise, he heard the sounds of an apparition in front of the cottage that was labelled number four. Quickly he disillusioned himself before the apparition revealed two figures, a smaller one pitifully skinny, almost skeletal with black hair and green eyes carrying a tattered backpack, the other gave him pause, it was James Potter. His schoolyard enemy, yet now nine years after graduation with the added benefit of six long years of heavy counselling starting when he was fifteen courtesy of one Perenelle Flamel, he longer carried the festering wound, nor the (perhaps understandable) hatred towards that name or the person. Instead, the only feeling that filled him was one of concern, as the almost painful pressure of his magic lead straight towards the emaciated figure, suddenly upon eye contact, feelings of terror and a mild curiosity filled him. To his disbelief, his gut told him that the emotions were not his, but rather the tiny boy’s whose tiny stature told him that his estimated age to be about four. Creeping closer, he heard the voice of James Potter bark, “Freak you will stay here until you see your Aunt Petunia, then you will hand her this letter. Pretty sure your tiny brain can understand that, you stupid freak!” at the miniature kid. Alarm filled Severus, he could hardly believe his ear, the similarity between the two of them told him that they were most likely father and son, and seeing the doting father of the boy-who-lived speak so viciously to what he believed to be another his sons, was almost like a slap. In front of his disillusioned eyes, he watched as James slapped the gaunt figure, who fell to the ground and apparated away.

Severus quickly dispersed the disillusion on himself before walking quickly to the figure and squatted down. “Hello, little one, my name is Severus Snape, what's your name little one?” “Ha….Harry… Harry Potter, Sir” Was the halting whispered reply. The feelings of terror amplified quickly through Severus, he realized quickly that the kid was absolutely terrified out of his mind, he needed to remedy the situation quickly before it became to be too late. Severus quickly realising that if his magic was tugging him this badly, the chances are that Harry’s was as well. “Harry, do you feel that feel your magic, it is reaching out to me, isn’t it? Mine is as well, little one. I’m not going to harm you, trust me.” Harry reached down into his magic and nodded slowly, before gasping and covering his head protecting his head from any blows. Severus, on the other hand, was amazed at the aura of magic that had briefly enveloped the child. It was not only more powerful then he would have thought possible, but the level of control that came with it was more than breathtaking. However, the sight of the shaking child before him quickly kicked him back into gear. Making sure his hands are always in plain view, he slowly and soothingly coaxed the child back to calm.

“Its okay child, I’m not going to hurt you. I want to bring you away from here, to somewhere I promise you, you will be safe. Do you trust me?” He calmly extended his hand, and silently prayed to Lady Magic that he could convince the child to trust him and follow him back to the Flamels’.

Lady Magic watching the scene unfold before her, smiley slightly as she heard the prayer, she quickly used the remaining strands of magic wrapped around her Chosens and loosened the bind on Harry’s magical empathy slightly, allowing him to feel what Severus was feeling.

Back on earth, Harry was filled with awe as his empathetic ability filled him. He had not felt his ability in years after he had turned four and had been taken to Albus Dumbledore. The feelings of concern and worry filled him and before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “You freed my magic! You actually care! Harry will follow you!” and jumped into Severus’s arm. Immediately he tensed, and Severus felt the tiny body in his arms tense with fear, when he did not react anymore then hugging the little boy back, he felt the body relax and un-tense. However, while Harry relaxed, Severus’s brain worked overtime, _freeing Harry’s magic?_ that means Harry magic was bound and more likely than not _still_ bound. Not only did he need to give the little boy in his arms a full check up and more likely than not heal him, but they needed to visit Gringotts as soon as possible. This little boy had a long way to go, and he honestly hoped that he would be able to get him there, for regardless of the amount of time he spent with him. The emerald-eyed little imp had already stolen his heart. The tentative hope that radiated from the limpet attached to him, unwillingly pulled another smile from him, wrapping his arms around the little monkey, he took a deep breath and apparated away.

* * *

 

Beyond the cosmos, Lady Magic watched and smiled. Both her Chosens have finally found each other, and both of them can finally start to heal.

  



	5. Denudasti damnum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denudasti damnum - (Latin) Discovering the Damage

Severus Snape hugged Harry closer to him as he apparated into the Flamel Castle, without dislodging the precious cargo in his arms, he sent a silent patronus to both his mentor and his Mistress to meet him in the room that was directly opposite his in the family wing of the castle. With his cape billowing behind him he strode quickly towards the room, feeling the little boy in his arms seem to be flagging, the emotional stream that continued from the little bundle in his arms, increasing his urgency and protectiveness. He still could barely believe that Harry trusted him.

Upon reaching the room, to his surprise, the room had been completely made over by the still bustling elves. What used to be a bare but still fully furnished room, now instead of white walls, had an enchanted forest painted on, with to his disbelief playful animals both mundane and magical darted among the trees. The ceiling which used to be plain bricking now had an enchanted roof that showed the movement of the constellations above. The white queen bed had now been replaced by a midnight blue poster king bed, with a mountain of pillows resting on it. The oak dresser had been spruced up, while a large comfortable desk and chair had been shifted into the room near the arching windows. The addition of the reading nook complete with empty shelves ready to hold Harry’s collection of books stood standing by. Mixie one of the elder house elves simply came up to them and declared, “Hes house elf friend, wes bes happy to help.” With a bow and click, all the house elves popped away. Shaking his head in confusion, he resolutely put his disbelief aside, he had more important things to worry about.

Gently setting Harry down the bed, he sensed it as Nick and Pen entered the room after him, shooting a look at Pen he silently asked her to pass him his healing kit. “Harry? I’m just going to do a small diagnosing spell on you okay?”

Upon hearing that, Harry’s mind immediately fled to his cuts, _to his lifeline_ , and to his utmost mortification, he started panicking. _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Don’t just sit here panicking, make up an excuse, stop the spell, DO SOMETHING!_ But there was nothing that he seemed to be able to do, his breaths got shorter, his chest started to hurt, and he started to wonder if that would the end of him.

The instant wave of panic and terror that radiated out of Harry and hit Severus Snape was something that had almost knocked him flat on his back. He had never seen such a reaction in his life, at least from a wizard this young. This kind of reaction normally came from children who were not only much older but also heavily abused not tiny three-year-olds. ( _AN: Remember Harry is really small for his age, and that the Potter Family had heavily hidden his existence. Severus has simply no idea that Harry is six)_. Quickly he grabbed the arms that are frantically clawing at his own throat and tugged the panting boy into his chest. “Harry can you feel my breathing, feel my breaths, copy it. Relax Harry, I got you.”

Slowly, but surely he felt breathing of the little one in his lap slow down and body-heaving sobs take over. Slowly, he started rubbing the small heaving back, as he strained his ears to pick up the soft muttered whimpers that interspersed the sobs. His heart dropped to the bottom of his shoes as he made out the words, “No.. No… No.. You can’t… He can’t find out..” The words were repeated in a loop, and suddenly Severus did not want to know what he would find when he cast that spell.

Soothingly, he continued to rub the back of the imp that stole his heart, willing him to fall asleep to avoid any more unnecessary trauma, as Nick and Pen watched on, both clutching each other with their hearts in their mouths. Sure enough, the security of Severus’s arms and the exhaustion that always accompanied a panic attack soon tugged the youngest Potter son into the arms of Morpheus and within fifteen minutes he was asleep. Casting a look towards Pen, Severus shifted and laid Harry fully on the bed, before drawing his wand. Severus took a deep breath and cast the spell to not only diagnose Harry but to find out his medical history.

To the disbelieving eyes of all three of them, the wand started producing feet upon feet of parchment. Finally, after a good six-ish feet of parchment, the wand stopped producing any more of its devastating result and falls silent. Grabbing onto the portion that revealed the current ailments that bothered the young soul on the bed, he quickly gave it a once over, before steeling himself and started healing the boy, and passed the list to Pen. Pen and Nick started looking over the list.

* * *

 

 _Name:_ _Harry James Potter_

 _Age:_ _6 years, 3 days_

_Height: 2 feet 11 inches_

_Weight: 11.7kg_

_Current External Injuries:_

__Head_ _

  * _Minor linear skull fracture along the Parietal bone_


  * _Minor Concussion_



_Torso_

  * _Major and minor contusions_


  * _Major and minor lacerations_


  * _Cracked 2nd and 3rd rib_



_Limbs_

  * _Broken left Ulna_


  * _Crushed right Metacarpus_


  * _Major and minor contusions_


  * _Major and minor lacerations_


  * _1st and 2nd-degree burns_



 

_Current Internal Injuries_

  * __Ruptured Spleen__


  * _Hematoma along Internal Iliac Vein_


  * _Shrunken Stomach_



* * *

 

Penerelle Flamel suppressed her sorrow at the number of things wrong with the child on the bed before her, before grabbing her wand and started in on his limbs, while Severus healed the boy’s head and torso. “Severus, is he wearing glamour charms? His arms look uninjured.” Severus snapped his head up in shock. _Glamour charms?_ At Harry’s age? A charm that took most seventh years almost a month to perfect and most are only able to sustain for 6 hours at most, sustained by this tiny six-year-old even when _asleep?_ Harry was one amazingly powerful, amazing precocious little six-year-old. He cast the dispelling charm, and before his eyes, Harry seemed to get even tinier and even more fragile, his heart going out to the tiny six-year-old on the bed. Pen took a deep breath and redoubled her efforts to help heal the child.

“Son, take a look at this.” She barely managed to keep her voice from cracking. Up and down, both the bony wrist laid thick ropey scars, overlaid by still open and sluggishly bleeding. Severus snapped his head up, and glanced towards his Mother-figure, cradled in arms were Harry’s wrists, both heavily scarred and at some points the _cuts_ were still sluggishly bleeding, some looked deep enough to need his new sealing paste. “Oh Harry…” he breathed.

( _AN: I wanted to end it here, but it is a bit short so onwards and downwards friends)_

* * *

 

Harry woke up gently feeling warm, comfortable and safe for the first time in his life. Solely, because he was used to the rude awakenings and the fighting for awareness the moment he woke, he decided he didn't really like the pleasant awakening. Slowly he realised that he was not the only person in the darkened room. Raising his head and sitting up, he noticed that for the first time in a year he was no pain at all, and the black figure that had his head pillowed in arms on the corner of the comfortable bed Harry was lying on was, in fact, his saviour. To his horror, the unwitting grunt he had made while sitting up had woken up the men. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you, I’m sorry sir!” Harry’s feelings of unworthiness had been deeply ingrained into him and he quickly scrambled into James’s favourite punishment position, which involved him being on his knees, and pulled down his shorts, allowing his saviour full access to his bottom for either the belt or a cane. To his surprise, the pain he was waiting for did not come, instead, he felt his shorts being pulled up and his body being carried and settled onto the man’s lap before his chin was lifted and he was forced to meet the concerned and worried eyes of one Severus Snape. “Child, it is not your fault, let me clear one thing up front, I will never hurt you or punish you with pain, do you understand?” Harry could not believe his ears, he knew that he was a useless squib, it was only a matter of time before Severus understood it as well, he should not get his hopes up. His disbelief must have shown on his face, for the next thing he knew, “Oh child…” was breathed into his ear and he was tugged closer into the warmth of the chest in front of him. It was then he realised that _somehow his magic had failed_ , the scars on his upper arms were visible, and his wrist... _his wrists were bandaged. His savior knew, Severus knew how much of a freak he was._ It was all too much for the young boy, and Harry passed out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merlin's mouldy shorts guys, I cannot believe the reception this story has got. Thank you so much, you have no idea what this means to me. Especially given that this is just my first fic. Thank you so much, I really really cannot believe it.
> 
> Okay, with regards to the list of injuries for those not part of the medical field, the list is pretty normal for someone who is very heavily abused and would normally mean the death of the person in question. But in this case because its *fiction* and that Harry is a wizard he survived. >.< Also for his height, I have done my research, 2 feet 11 inches is about 90 cm which is the height of a 3-year-old and 11.7kg means that even at that height Harry is severely underweight, and in danger of his organs simply shutting down and failing. Remember guys, this is not normal, and if anyone including yourself is in this situation please do seek help immediately.


	6. Incipit Sanitatem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Incipit sanitatem - (Latin) Healing Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Trigger warning for Ana is strong in this one, please be careful

Severus blinked at the pert backside that was presented to him for _punishment_ , and his heart broke for what the child had gone through. No child should be afraid of waking an adult, much less punished for it. _What on earth_ , had Harry put through that had transformed him from a typical that like every other child on this green earth that would jump on their parents bed to wake them up to this shivering lump in front of him, that was so calmly accepting punishment for a sin that wasn’t even one in the first place. Gently, he reached forward and tugged the shorts back up the bony hips, absently noting that he needed to go shopping for the imp, for the shorts and in fact every single piece of clothing he wore either seemed too big, or too old. In one smooth motion, he pulled the too light and too small body onto his lap and turned the child to face him.

“Child, it is not your fault, let me clear one thing up front, I will never hurt you or punish you with pain, do you understand?”

Severus knew that it was too soon and too fast for Harry to truly understand him, but even as he soothingly rubbed the Little One’s back, the play of emotions that flashed through him thanks to the unexplainable but nonetheless godsend empathetic bond that seemed to spring up between them nevertheless made his heart bleed at what Harry had gone through. The emotions never touched the guarded and close-offed little face that he still held securely in his hand. Unable to resist, he pulled the child closer hoping that he could comfort and reassure Harry that no matter what he was truthful and that Harry finally had someone in his corner.

The instant wave of shame, horror and panic that radiated through the small body, however, was something he did not expect. “Harry?” Looking down he followed Harry’s gaze to the bandage covered wrists, _oh…OH….._ “Harry! Harry, it’s oka-“ before he could finish his sentence, the little body in his arms went slack. Mildly panicking, he settled the little body back into the bed and quickly called an Elf to get Penerelle.

“Pen! He passed out! He panicked and passed out when he realized we knew he was harming himself! What do we do?!” He practically screamed. “Severus Snape! Get a hold of yourself, YOU are among the top ten healers for children, you can do this, calm down. I’m right behind you it’s going to be okay.” Penerelle soothed gripping the flailing arms of her son in all but blood. “Take a deep breathe, in… out…. You can do this, go and do me proud.”

Severus took a deep breath before he centred him, _he could do this,_ he will make sure that Harry will learn to _trust_ and above all else _heal_ . He quickly cast another diagnostic spell and was very relieved when he realized that although Harry had passed out again, he was on the mend and that there was no more unsuspected complication that had cropped up. However, he frowned a little when he realized that his _charge_ had not had anything for nourishment ever since he was had been brought to the Flamel Castle (which had been almost 30 odd hours ago) and spelled a nutrition potion into the little tyke on the bed. He guessed its back into another waiting game. He hoped that these not be something of a trend in the future.

* * *

 

For the second time that day, Harry woke up safe and warm. Much to his disbelief, the never-ceasing ache that had been in his tummy for almost as long as he could remember and that had gotten worse ever since he had taken the step to become perfect had disappeared. _Is this what it was like to be full? Why was he full, he was not supposed to be a glutton!_ Opening his eyes, he was hit with a sense of deja vu, when he saw Severus at the corner of his bed. But this time, his saviour was awake and was unconsciously stroking his arm while reading at what seemed to be a really advanced potion book. Instantly Harry was reminded of the reason he had passed out in the first place, and instantly he froze, he _didn’t what to do._ What was he supposed to _do? Say?_ His freezing must have notified to Severus that he was awake.

“Harry? I know you are awake.” Harry nodded mutely, unable to get his throat to work in order for the words to get out. “I know you can’t really understand or explain right now, so just listen. I know you are struggling right now, I know this is hard. Understand that we, Nick, Pen and I, which I know you haven’t met, are all here to support you. Trust me when I say that, this will not be easy, I will not be here to coddle you, none of us are here to coddle you, but you will never be alone again, that I can promise you.” Harry could not believe his years, he honestly in all his short life had never been this startled or shell-shocked before, and he could only mutely nod.

Severus knowing he was shorting out Harry’s brain, quickly continued, wanting to give him a structure and something to for him to fall back on when times were tough. “Okay, little one, there are only a few rules I need you to follow. Number one, when you feel that urge to hurt yourself again, you will come to any one of us and ask for help. I know that you cannot stop immediately, but I want you to promise me that you will try and do your best okay?  (Here, Harry could only give an almost robotic nod). Second, you will try your best to listen to us and our instructions, for we are only here to try and protect you. Third, you will not go into the rooms that will be pointed out to you later, when you are allowed out of bed. Fourth, you will always tell us the truth, do you understand? I will be providing you with a schedule for when you are healing which is going to be about a week and when you are off bed rest, if you have any problems with it, or anything else come and talk to me understand?”

Severus sighed at the mute puppet that tried to pass itself off as Harry. “Why don’t we go meet Nick and Pen, hmm? I’m sure they will be glad to meet the special little boy that is lying in bed in front of me.” Once again the little mite on his lap had become mum marionette and just bobbed his head silently. He smiled softly at Harry and secured his arm under the bony bottom of the neglected Potter twin, secured the little boy closer to his body before lifting him up easily. ( Still frowning slightly how little the boy actually weighed,) Severus quickly carried him downstairs to where the wards which the Flamel coupled had keyed him into (he still could barely believe that the couple was willing to do that for him, and that had been over six years ago. The couple had designated him as their heir, and as a child that had been disregarded by the alcoholic parents and then later brushed aside in school by friends and teachers alike, it was something like a phoenix from the dessert. And somehow, even now, when he thought about a flood of warmth always filled him, and almost, _almost(!)_ make him smile.) let him know where they were. 

* * *

 

“Nick, Pen! Meet Harry!”

As much as Harry had worried about it, as his hero carried him down to meet the Sir and Madam of the house. In all honesty, it was not as bad. Nicolas Flamel as he had introduced himself, was such an _approachable_ adult that Harry felt for the first time that while he was talking to an adult, he was not talking to an _adult_ , and to him, it was such a strange feeling. Perenelle Flamel he learned was a strongly maternal lady, who upon seeing him fussed and mothered him. He was instantly set on the couch on her insistence and a cup of hot chocolate, _194 calories,_ topped with 7 white fluffy marshmallows, _22 calories,_ was pushed into his hand, and the _softest_ blanket was quickly wrapped around him, (he did not drink it, he needed to be perfect, he will not be _abandoned_ again, he will make sure of that.) What Harry did not see was the worried looks being shot around when the adults in the room when they noticed that while Harry clutched the mug tightly, never did it once touch his lips. The conversation flowed around the room, and the tension left Harry’s shoulders and slowly he fell asleep even though it was barely 7 pm at night.

* * *

 

Once Severus put Harry back into the room that had officially become Harry’s room about 34 hours ago. The niggling thought that had been bouncing around in his head finally came to the forefront of his mind. He had basically _kidnapped_ Harry, and he needed to do something about it now. He imitated successfully imitated a hippogriff out of hell and flew down the stairs. At the family lounge, before he could have fled to the Dursleys’ house and do damage control, and find how much he needed to do to help and manage, he was grabbed on the arm by Nick.

“Severus calm, I have settled the Dursleys’, no don’t raise your eyebrows at me, you are not the only one that has had his heartstrings tugged by the little imp upstairs. Yesterday while you waited at his bedside, I went to _them_ and altered their memories. They will believe that they took Harry and threw him into an orphanage. I have made them think that that _man,_ or rather _beast_ , known as Vernon had given him a pretty bad wallop so that there is a possibility that he will not even survive. It’s okay, Harry Potter has completely disappeared off the face of the earth. He is safe, and he will not be hurt again. We will make sure of that. Severus, we will give him that, I promise."

 


	7. Ultra excogitato

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ultra excogitato - (Latin) Finding out more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks, Heavy heavy trigger warnings please do watch out ya!

The wards that he had placed around Harry’s room rang incessantly in Severus’s head, blurrily he climbed out of bed. Grumbling to himself, he cast a silent tempus to find out what time it was. To his concern, the charm told him that it was barely 1 am at night, _what on earth is happening to Harry?_ _Why on earth was the distress ward going off, when everything was so silent?_

Shrugging his dressing coat on he strode quickly towards his door before crossing the corridor into Harry’s room. Once he was in Harry’s room to his surprise he could feel a silencing charm that was not around the bed but a dark corner of the room. _Accidental - no Purposeful_ magic and a really powerful one at that. Once his eyes adjusted to the dark, his heart dropped to the bottom of his shoes, in the corner Harry was curled up sobbing, a switchblade abandoned to the side of him, the blade still crimson with dripping blood. The white bandages that he had wrapped around the skeletal wrists had been ripped off and thrown to the side. The wrist in question was slowly dripping blood. Working with children all these years had given an understanding to their psyche, but suddenly when confronted with a child that he now somehow cared for hurting so badly was a punch to the stomach. He walked to the corner in front of Harry and dropped to his knees, “Oh Harry….” He pulled the sobbing child into his arms. Said child in question immediately froze when he realised that he was no longer alone, looking up when he realised that it was Severus and that he not going to hurt him, he relaxed and melted into his chest.

“Im sorry sir, you were not meant to see that, I’m sorry Sir, I’m getting blood all over your robe, I promise I will wash it, please don’t send me away!!” A halting voice that was forced between the body shaking sobs reached his ears. Instantly, his heart broke for the sweet little child in his arms, gathering up the child into his arms, he stood up strode towards the bed and placed his precious cargo down. Turning the heaving body to face him, he calmly brushed the damp hair off the face of the little cherub. “Harry, I want you to listen to me closely, this robe is not your responsibility. I’m glad to have seen it, Little One, for only this way can I help you through this. I’m not angry, Harry. I’m just worried about you. This is not healthy, and I really don’t want you to do this anymore Angel. I don’t want you to hurt anymore” Two teary disbelieving green eyes stared right at him, the corresponding feelings of doubt hiding a shy hope, gave Severus a little optimism that he might reach Harry one day.

Summoning bandages, he gently wrapped the still bleeding wrists, leary of casting more magic on the frail child that had no doubt expended his magic not only healing the battered body but putting up the strong silencing charm. Unwilling to let the child go lest he went on to hurt himself some more, (Severus will not admit on the pain of death that the feeling of the child in his arms was something he was not willing to let go of) he climbed onto the bed himself and wrapped himself around the still quietly sobbing child, stroking the small back and humming an old lullaby slowly lulling the child to sleep. He needed to speak to Pen and soon, Harry needed to talk to a mind healer, and given how much Pen had helped him as a child, he hoped that she will be able to help the special child in his arms as well.

* * *

 

“Where is Sev, Nick?” Perenelle Flamel has had one of the most harrowing experiences in her life over the last 2 days when her heir turned up in the manor with an almost dead little boy in his arms. Now, 2 days later, not only was Severus late for breakfast for the first time in about ten years, she could not find him in his room. Tapping into the wards, she followed the tug of magic and located her surrogate son in all of places Harry’s room. Opening the door, she felt the corner of her lips curl up, there on the bed was Severus Snape, someone that even Albus Dumbledore is afraid is curled protectively around the youngest Potter son, both of the sleeping males had their face smoothed out in their sleep and both looked impossibly younger. Summoning a camera, she took a photo and quietly exited the room.

* * *

 

Severus woke up curled around a warm _clinging_ something, opening his eyes slowly the first thing he noticed was the messy mop of black hair tucked under his chin. Smiling softly, he reached up and started brushing away the black hair of the smooth forehead of the child in his arms. He could not help the grin that broke out on his face as the little limpet unconsciously snuggled closer as he did so. However a red raw scar on the forehead of the imp quickly caught his attention, he sent a spike of healing and diagnostic magic through his palms into the little body, which had a double effect one it calmed the little tyke in his arms which slid Harry deeper into sleep, and allowed him to check what was wrong with that scar, and why it was not healing. The results of the scan deeply concerned him, the mass of black magic behind Harry’s scar was not normal. If the fact that Harry had let slip that his magic was somehow bound was not problematic enough, now the swirling benevolent magic definitely warranted a visit to Gringotts and soon.

Shaking out his thoughts, he realised that half an hour had passed and he needed to wake Harry not only to get some food into him, but also to get him to Gringotts as soon as possible. Gently, he started to the pat the small back pressed into the chest to help gently bring Harry out of his slumber as he brought Harry to a sitting position. “Sir?” A sleepy voice greeted his ears. “Hey little one, go wash up, it’s time for breakfast, we have a long day today.”

* * *

 

Harry woke up once again in the arms of his saviour, deciding that last night was simply a dream, _for who on earth would take that much effort for a Squib like him?_ He blurrily looked up and nodded his head before started to crawl of the comfortable lab that he had found himself on. To his surprise, gentle arms lifted him up and carried him to the bathroom, “Little one, your legs have burns even on the platform of your feet, even with magic that is still going to be painful for a while, let me help you, okay?” A smooth gentle voice belonging to the owner of the arms whispered in his ears, dumbly Harry nodded his head, feeling an unfamiliar feeling of warmth welled up in his chest, and he unconsciously snuggled closer into the warm chest that he was pressed against.

“Ah, morning sleepyheads, ready for breakfast?” A surprisingly chirpy voice of Penerelle Flamel greeted them at the door of the small dining room. With a snap of her fingers, house elves started appearing with platters of food that was stacked taller than their heads. Harry’s shrunken stomach grumbled hungrily with hope at the smells of breakfast that reached his nose. Harry angrily and definitely pushed down the call of his hunger, _he needed to be perfect and that did not involve food._ To his surprise however, instead of being shoved into the kitchen to eat with the house elf, and left  to his own devices, he was plopped unto one of the four chairs at the small round table, and a plate of food piled high with all kinds of breakfast foods were placed under his nose, accompanied by an amazing looking bowl of porridge that was filled with fruits and honey.

“Eat up, Son, you have a long day in front of you.” Came the warm voice of Nicolas Flamel.

“You want me to eat with you, sir? You want Harry to eat at the table? You want Harry to be seen?”

The instant feelings of sorrow that enveloped him that was radiating out of the three adults in the room made his head snap up instantly. “Oh no, angel, you belong here with us, you never need to hide away again you understand?”

The strong arms that he had come to associate with his saviour and with safety, wrapped around his shoulders and the long thin fingers thicken with calluses landed over his smaller hand and placed it on the fork lying the table. “Eat, Little one, I promise you are never going to eat in the kitchen alone again okay?”

Harry timidly picked up his fork and started to shift food around on his plate. Strawberries, _33 calories,_ oatmeal, _150 calories_ , he could only afford 100 calories, he needed to be perfect, he couldn’t let down or disappoint these amazing people, he will not, he must not. What Harry never saw, was the concerned glances of Nick, Pen and Severus as they watched the little boy that had stolen their hearts.

* * *

 

“May your gold grow, and your enemies fear your blade, may we speak to the Flamel account manager.” Severus hugged the little imp closer to him, which he had set on his hip before they had left the house.

“Ay, May your coffers overflow, and your enemies fear your wand, This way, Master Snape”

They were led down the corridors that are the labyrinth that was the Gringotts’ office.  “How can we help Heir Flamel today?” asked Sharpax, (Whenever Severus heard that address term, he couldn’t help the smile that broke unto his face, he could never thank Nick and Pen enough for what they have done for him, and the title was always such a poignant symbol.) “We need an inheritance and magic test on this little one here, I would appreciate if you run the full gamut of tests. Gringotts will receive the full fee and a small token of 50 gallons from vault 563 if this can be done discreetly with no paper trail within today.” The sharp tooth grin that he received, he knew he was on the right track.

“Okay, wizardling, I need three drops of blood dripped into this bowl here.” Harry extended his hand and was after three blood drops were squeezed out from his index finger, it was instantly healed by Severus. The blood was mixed into a bowl and poured out onto a specially prepared parchment on Sharpax’s desk.  Instantly, words started to form,

* * *

 

 _ Name: _ _Harry James Potter_

_Claimable Lordships:_

_Lord Gryffindor_

_Lord Slytherin_

_Lord Emrys_

_Lord Peverell_

_Current Heirships:_

_Heir Black_

_Spare Potter Heir_

_Gifts:_

_Empathy - Blocked by Albus Dumbledore_

_Telepathy - Blocked by Albus Dumbledore_

_Elemental - Blocked by Albus Dumbledore_

_Beast Speaking - Blocked by Albus Dumbledore_

_Metamorphmagus - Blocked by Albus Dumbledore_

_Magical Blocks:_

_50% Blocked by Albus Dumbledore December 1980_

_15% Blocked by Albus Dumbledore July 1983_

_15% Blocked by Albus Dumbledore July 1986_

_Others:_

Horcrux - Tom Marvelo Riddle located under scar in the forehead

* * *

 

The look of anger in both Sharpax and Severus Snape could set the office on fire if they had the element of fire in their veins. Quickly, they bundled the strangely silent child up and placed him into a purging room, and settled him into the warm safe lap of Severus.

Harry James Potter will not be bound any longer, Severus will make sure of that.

 


	8. Ultima est arcanum e

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ultima est arcanum e - (Latin) Last secret comes out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING, take care guys

“ Nick, Pen, do you think that Harry has food issues? It’s been two days, and we have never seen him eat a full meal, even after we put him on a 5-a-day small meal plan, to help expand his stomach, he doesn’t seem to be eating. He seems to be vanishing his food before it hits his mouth.” Severus was worried, very worried about his son. He had blood adopted Harry at the bank, and now his son was Sidor Nicolas Harrison Prince.

* * *

 

_Flashback_

_“ Heir Flamel, to protect the little one, it would be best for you to accept the Prince Lordship and formally blood adopt him as your own.” Astonishingly, Harry Potter had done the impossible he had not only gotten the globins to help him willingly, but he had also gotten them to help him. The imp had simply stolen the hearts of everyone or every being that had seen him, and Severus knew that those big green eyes would be the death of him one day._

_“Harry, I want to adopt you, little one. It means I want you to be my son, do you want me to be your dad?” Severus was nervous, by virtue he was a private person who didn’t trust easily, and now he had metaphorically and literally taken a leap of faith for the little tyke in front of him, and he hoped against hope he would not be rejected._

_“You want Harry?” The wave of hope that hit him that came from that merlin given bond that still connected him and Harry, gave him a second wind in his sails. He tugged the little body into his arms, “Yes little one, I want you to be my son.” The vigorous nodding that answered him, made the biggest smile he ever had bloom unto his face (which to his surprise was mirrored by an answering one on_ Sharpax’s _face)._

_The blood adoption potion was quickly passed to him and he quickly added three drops of his blood into the potion, before coaxing the Angel in his lap to drink it. “Tingly, Se-Dad, why is it tingling?”_

_“It is making you my son, little one, you will always have a part of me with you all the time now.” Hearing Harry calling him Dad had filled a hole in his heart he never known he had._

_Harry, now stood slightly taller 2 feet 13 inches, 2 inches taller then he used to be. The messy mop that used to be hair now laid a little straighter and the hair a lot finer. The cheekbones got a little higher closer to the more aristocrat features that Severus himself had, and his fingers and limbs got a slightly longer, giving him a slightly coltish look, that somehow made him more adorable._

_End Flashback_

* * *

 

And now two days later, he is feeling the anxiety that all parents have when faced with their precious sprog if said precious sprog was facing some problems. “Severus, I think we need to address this, Sidor is not eating, and this cannot go on, we need to help him out this dark hole. We will always be there for him and you, okay?” The warm voice of his surrogate mother uplifted him and gave him hope. His little Prince, _oh when will the world give Sidor a break_ , the little one had anorexia, if not was well on his way to developing a full-blown eating disorder, and this was something he needed to speak to Sidor about and fast. The little one was hurting so much, and he wanted - _no needed_ to help his little prince, Sidor was hurting and that was not acceptable anymore.

* * *

 

“Little one, I need to talk to you is that okay?” The little form on the bed nodded his head and tucked the book he was reading under his pillow. To Severus surprise, the book that was tucked away was a year 2 potions book, something that was meant for someone practically twice his age. His little one was intelligent and surprisingly _precocious_ , this was information that will be useful in the future when the little one was off of bed-rest. He sat on the bed, and carded his fingers through the sable mop of hair, to his dismay, a clump of hair left the scalp and came away with his fingers. The extra sign of malnutrition that was so clear, practically broke his heart “Oh child, why did you not tell anyone?” The rapid feelings of terror and confusion followed by the quick snap up of the little head made his heart lurch just that little more.

“Little Prince, I know you are not eating will you tell me why?”

“I...I can’t.. You will send me away.”

“No little one, you are my son now, I will not be sending you away, ever, do you understand that?”

Something in his voice or his eyes must have convinced Sidor of his sincerity, for the whole tale came tumbling out. Sidor halting spoke of his feelings of inadequacy, of how his brother got to practise magic and he didn’t, how he needed to be perfect, how he _just_ wanted to be accepted and love like how he remembered he used to be before his brother and he meet the dark scary wizard. The feelings of fear and just outright worthlessness radiated down the bond twisted Severus’s heart perhaps even more than the story that came out from that little mouth.

“I’m so sorry that you had to go through all of that, I promise I will help you out of this. When you are off bed rest, why don’t we start some lessons hmm? But I want you to promise me, you will try to start eating a little more, and promise me that you will come to me if you ever feel that again, okay? One more thing, I want you to start talk to Pen once a week, okay? Promise me, you will try, I just want you to try.”

* * *

 

“Okay, little one, it’s time for lunch, you ready?” After the emotionally loaded conservation, Severus had stayed upstairs in the little bed next to the little boy and had read to him from the very book that Sidor had hidden under the pillow when he had walked in. To Severus’s secret pride and delight, the little one not only understood what was going on, but asked really intelligent questions as well, Sidor will be an amazing student, he was already incredibly intelligent and interested in the world around him. The deer-in-headlights look that he was awarded, just made him sigh. Gently he lifted his still too-light little Prince up and started to carry him towards the dining room. “Its okay, we will take this slow okay?”

He settled Sidor down in the chair between him and Pen, exchanging glances with her, he saw that she understood his meaning instantly, and the sad smile that instantly graced her face and that of her husband spoke volumes of the determination and will to help the little imp that sat in the chair at the dining table. He sat down and slid two vials of potions towards Sidor, “okay little imp, the one of the left is a nutrition potion the other is an appetite stimulant, baby steps, we will get there Little one.”

“I can’t sir, please don’t make me, I can’t,” the tiny hands, clenched tightly and little fingernails dug into the palms harshly. Severus gently laid his hands on the small fists, and slowly unfurled the little hands, “you can, I believe in you,” taking one of his hands he grabbed the appetite stimulant on the table, and placed it in the small hands, “step by step, we can do this, it’s going to be alright, you don’t have to take the nutrition potion, take this one for me and eat a little okay?” Haltingly, his little prince tipped the potion into his mouth and swallowed it.

Severus placed a baked salmon in front of him, with a healthy side marsh potatoes and salad. Despite the small success he had with Sidor when the food was placed unto the plate in front of him, the little boy froze instantly. This time before he could react, Pen did, “What’s wrong, Fledgling?” The boy started his best imitation of a mute puppet again and started shaking his head. “No young one, explain what’s in your head, tell us, it helps I promise.” (Severus could not help but smile when he heard that, with Pen, therapy truly never stops, and you honestly don’t even know you are the victim of some therapeutic technique sometimes.) “Salmon cooked, 178 calories, mashed potatoes with butter and milk, 108 calories, salad with no dressing, 100 calories, I’m only allowed 100 calories a day, I can’t do this ma’am, please don’t make me.” Instantly the hearts of everyone in the room instantly broke for the broken little boy, that looked like he was about to fight a dragon when he was simply facing an afternoon meal.

“Yes you can little one, one bite at a time, you can do this.” Severus picked up the fork and picked up a small bite of salmon and placed it to the mouth of the child. To his surprise, the child actually opened his mouth and accepted the bite. SIdor was healing, and that’s all that was important.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the name Sidor is of a Greek origin, where the name Severus comes from, it also means talented, which is what little Harry in my story is. I wanted something that will honour Harry's new dad, so same starting letter and same origin will do. :>


	9. Faces accendere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faces accendere - (Latin) Lighting the torch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warningssss, please be careful.

Halfway through the meal, Sidor, could not hold on to his cool anymore. Regardless, of the soothing waves of calm and concern he could feel radiating from all the adults at the table, and the calming magic that he could feel coming from Pen’s hand on his thigh, he simply was not able to eat anymore, the feelings of guilt and worthlessness have truly descended upon him and have dug in them. Even though the appetite stimulant had worked, and he was in truth still hungry, he just could not stomach any more food. 

“I can’t! I can’t do this anymore! Don’t make me!” Sidor was struggling, trying to escape the warm familiar arms that had quickly surrounded and trapped him on the chair. He needed to get the food out, he wanted out. The calming magic being fed to him increased sharply, as Pen and Nick each took hold of 2 of his flailing limbs (with Nick holding his legs and Pen his hands) and fed him calming magic. Severus on his part, realizing that Sidor already had two sources of calming magic tried his best to cuddle and soothe the child. However Sidor was having none of it, he needed the food out  _ 10 minutes ago _ , and he was no longer taking no for an answer.  _ I need to become smaller somehow, maybe an animal? _ He concentrated hard on his magic, (that ever since the purging ritual, had been overflowing his barriers and just itching to be used) to his surprise, he just began to shrink, he could feel pins and needles all over his body where it felt like fur was being pushed out, his eyesight got sharper, his limbs lengthened and a burning in his forehead made him think that something sharp was being pushed out. 

Sidor was so surprised that his wish worked, he instantly froze, needing a second to process what had happened. To his eternal consternation, the second was all Severus needed to quickly pick him up and settle him on his lap securely. Feeling the way that he was held, Sidor knew that he no longer had any chance of escape, and at the moment he felt a little too tired  _ (AN: he is magically exhausted guys) _ and a little too secure to even attempt it. 

“Oh my little colt, you just had to surprise us, didn’t you? It is okay, Daddy’s got you, I know you are tired, and food may be a little too much right now. Will you drink some milk for Daddy?” 

Sidor reared up in surprise at being called a colt, his confusion must have somehow transmitted to Severus,  _ (AN: Severus still hasn’t told him that he can feel what Sidor is feeling, oops naughty Sev) _ , laughter instantly reached his now confusingly highly sensitive ears. “Oh little one, you truly do not know what you have achieved haven’t you, my little prodigy.” At his words, Sidor got even more confused, however, Severus summoned a mirror and placed at the side of the chair before shifted and turned them both around to face it. To Sidor’s surprise, instead of a little boy with black hair and green eyes, in his Dad’s lap was a beautiful black unicorn, with a pearlescent horn growing out in the middle of his forehead, and directly underneath, a shock of white hair, in the shape of a regal lightning bolt reminiscent of the sideways eihwaz, the Nordic rune for knowledge and wisdom, the shape of the scar he had gained the night Lord Voldemort had visited them. 

Once more, Sidor froze in shock at the sight,  _ he had become a unicorn _ , he had done what had always been told to him that was impossible, something that no matter how much  _ his twin _ had begged, James Potter had told him that it was not possible for someone that was under the age of 15,  _ he, Sidor Nicolas Harrison Prince had done it! _ In that, he felt that he was on top of the world, and nothing could turn him down. Something was pushed into his mouth and he reared back in shock,  _ what was that?! _ “Oh my silly foal, it just some milk, I know you can’t eat anymore, but little one, you need a little more for your body. I promise you, this will not make you fat, it just makes sure you can function.”

Sidor, in his animagus form had simpler emotions, and simpler thought patterns, he felt further away from the thoughts and feelings that had been trapped in the panic that he had felt when he was faced with that  _ darn piece of salmon _ , and it seemed so simple to just suck on the nipple that was in mouth. So, he did. To his surprise, even in his unicorn foal form, the milk still tasted like the best thing to him. Unbeknownst to him, Severus had sneaked in a nutrition potion into the milk that he had Sidor drinking if his little Prince was unable to physically eat the food, then at least he could make sure that the little body had what it needed. 

The milk was very soothing, and the affection he felt, as the warm hand petted his mane, and slowly tipped him and the bottle backwards, was something he never knew he desperately missed. Severus had started to fill a gap in him that he never knew he had. Just as Sidor felt that he was about to fall asleep, he heard a voice whisper into his ear, “Little Prince, can you turn back for me, I want a human boy right now.” Sidor at his core really trusted Severus, which meant that even at this point where he was about 2 minutes to falling into the arms of Morpheus, he instinctively obeyed that voice and focused his magic on turning back. The tinge of magic let him know he succeeded as he fell asleep.

Severus couldn’t help but smile, as the beautiful unicorn he had on his lap turned into his adorable little boy, he secured Sidor more comfortably as he got up. He got a son he needed to tuck in. 

* * *

 

Nicolas Flamel was in his favourite spot in pretty much in the entire house, he was hidden in a very comfortable corner in his library, one that cannot be seen from the door or most of the library, until you passed a particular bookshelf near the left wall of the library. To his surprise, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted some kind of movement out of the corner of his eyes.  _ He was not alone in the library.  _ To his surprise, it was not Severus or Penerelle as he had suspected, but rather the tiny form of his newly minted surrogate grandson. Unlike the shelf that he expected Sidor go to, which housed books suited for someone his age with illustrations and fairytales, the child went straight to the shelves that housed his alchemy books. The basic wards he had on his books, that had not only keyed to recognising potential alchemic aptitude, (and of course Severus and Penerelle, whom to his slight disappointment both were unable to get past his wards without being keyed in) easily gave way to the small Colt.  _ Sidor has alchemic talent! _ This is something to investigate, and something to investigate, not many had talent or aptitude for his area of magic anymore, and if Sidor has it, it was something worthy to the cultivate and grow. 

Getting up, he walked up to the little imp that was engrossed in one of the alchemic books that he knew some of the students he had thought 100-200 years ago, when he still took in students struggled with even two years into study, and here was this little six year old, reading and seemingly understand it. Nick could not help but feel a sense of excitement, he might have finally found someone worthy to be his apprentice after 600 years. 

“Hey, little cub, I see alchemy has gotten your attention, do you want to learn more?” To his gratification, Sidor nodded eagerly and took the hand he offered. Picking up the child, (remembering Sev worried mother henning about the state of the child and about wanting him to keep off his feet as much as possible,) he set him on his hip and started walking to his alchemical lab.

Once there, he could almost sense the excitement radiating from the little body, this was what he was looking for, someone who was interested and excited about his craft. Granted Sidor was a little young, but the real excitement could not be faked and the interest and clear aptitude that could also be found in him is something that would bloom and blossom given the right ingredients, and Nicolas hoped that he could be the one who could cultivate that. 

Nicolas picked up one of the more interesting and unique instruments he used and alchemy and started to explain to the cub on his hip.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose unicorn, cause Sidor to me represents a pure soul. Also, it is a little breadcrumb as to where the story is going *cough* Lady magic *cough*


	10. Ad Baculum magicum historia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ad Baculum magicum historia - (Latin) The wand story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Self-Harm warning!

The week of bedrest passed uneventfully, every day, Sidor spent his days happily learning from Nicolas, who to his secret delight had found not only a kindred soul in the small boy but also one of the worthiest apprentice who he could pass down his life’s work to. The nights were spent curled up in the arms of Severus, and he had spent every other evening spilling his guts to Penerelle. His tools were taken away, and his rooms warded, instead of a blade, an ice cube had been handed to him not only by Pen but also by his Dad, every time he started to unconsciously rub at his arms. He had no idea how they knew, but every time he started to be hit with the urge for his blade, they were always own there to catch him. 

* * *

 

_ Flashback  _

_ Sidor was scrambling around the room, he had precious few minutes, this was only the third day he was here but he knew that Severus was about to enter his room, the adults here have barely left him alone for seconds, and had basically put him on a 24-hour watch. He had not even been left alone at night to sleep! While it had annoyed him to no end, he could not deny the feelings of warmth that enveloped him whenever he thought about how much they seemed to care about him. Now, however, he wanted no needed to find his blades, he needed to feel the sting of the bleed and the gush of the warm blood. He needed the pain.  _

_ To his ultimate frustration, there was absolutely nothing sharp in his entire room, and he could feel the walls seemingly start to close in around him, and he frantically started to scratch frantically at his arms. Before he completely lost his mind, he felt large hands close over his own and something painfully cold pressed to where he had been frantically scratching. To his surprise, the frigid coldness seemed to sooth the itch that was the need to hurt and to bleed, and the large warm hand shifted to pull his body closer to a large warm body and started to stroke his head.  _

_ When the ice melted, Sidor timidly lifted his head to meet the obsidian black eyes of his adoptive father, bracing for the censure that he was sure would be there. To his surprise, the black eyes held no censure for him, but rather concern and worry. Reaching out with his empathic abilities, what he got from the man coincided with what he could see in his eyes. His father was worried for him, and to his disbelief, there was more than a touch of love as well. He relaxed into his father, just enjoyed the affection that he was given.  _

_ Flashback End  _

Sidor had good days and bad days, his new-found family supported him through the bad and celebrated his good. Today, he was finally off of bed-rest, and he could finally be able to walk and not be carried around. And the best part he was finally allowed to play with and use his magic.  _ He had even been banned from the transforming into his unicorn self! _ Now, however, he was waiting for his dad to finally give him the green light to  _ finally, finally _ be late of bed. He had been waiting on his bed for about 30 minutes, (which was of no fault of his dad, but rather his own, his dad had left him asleep and had, in fact, coaxed him back to sleep when he slipped away to gather his healing supplies. However, he had simply waited for his dad to slip away to immediately sit up. He was just so excited!) Sidor, smirked to himself, well it  _ has been a while _ since he had been a unicorn, and his dad did  _ not _ say he wanted to examine a  _ human _ boy, right? He turned into the sleek black unicorn, and laid his head down onto his hoofs and waited for his Dad. 

* * *

 

Severus felt the tinge of the wards he had placed on his Prince’s room accept him as he opened the door and entered the room. To his surprise, instead of a sleeping Prince he had left, he found a regal black unicorn colt on the bed sheet, two big doleful eyes staring back at him. “Oh, my little Colt, aren't  you an adorable little unicorn.” The unicorn that she was stroking reared back and gave him the unicorn version of an offended look. Severus could not help but laugh, “You are adorable, little one, now, however, I can’t examine a unicorn, I need a little boy, will you turn into a little boy for Daddy?” The unicorn seemed to pout at him before turning back into the little boy he had gotten to know for the past week. _His_ adorable little boy. The pout on little boy’s face followed the transformation, but somehow, it was even cuter on the face he had come to love, and somehow he didn’t think his little boy would appreciate that. 

He stroked the little head as he sent waves of diagnostic magic through the hand that was planted securely under the thin nightshirt and on the bony chest. Satisfied with the almost healed status of his son, he dug through his healer’s bag to find his thermometer and slipped his wand from the holster. Checking Sidor’s eye reflexes and his temperature, he was gratified that it read as normal and healthy. Finally, he sent his magic to check on the little one’s core, to his surprise unlike the magic core that he had found when Sidor first got here which was a calm pool of magical power, which resembled a lake, still and responsive, Sidor’s magical core now resembled the ocean, not only in volume, but how reactive and however changing it was. It now lapped at the boundaries of Sidor’s magical core, seemingly eager to respond to its master’s bidding. Severus was very much impressed, even when he had accidentally scanned Albus Dumbledore - _long story_ _don’t ask -_ the headmaster’s core was not even as voluminous as little Sidor’s and he was only _six_! It seemed that not only had he underestimated his little one, but the lessons in magic needed to start and soon, otherwise the fits of accidental magic and the burst of magical power might not only level the Flamel castle, but also maybe and more problematically burn little Sidor’s core out, and hurt him, and Severus to his dying breath will make sure that never happens again. 

* * *

 

After an eventful breakfast, where Severus had to restrain Sidor to ensure that he would not run and purge his breakfast. Severus decided that it was time to bring little Sidor out, and finally,  _ finally, _ get him a wand. But before that, he had to ensure that not only Sidor, but he himself will not be recognised. 

“Little one, could you do me favour, concentrate really hard for me, imagine yourself with blond hair, and blue eyes, and the little scar on your head to be smoothened and gone. Imagine your skin colour to be a darker brown colour.” His little Prince had the metamorphmagus talent, and he hoped that with such a reactive core, he would be able to change his features. The metamorphmagus talent even after altering his features, would not show up on any scans detecting glamours or spells. This way, his little one would be safe, and hopefully, the usage of his metamorphmagus talent would claim the tumultuous magic down, and lessen the chance that Sidor will lose control of his magic.  In front of his eyes, the black hair turned blonde and all the recognisable features of the imp blurred and turned unrecognisable. While Severus had hoped it would work, he never really thought it would, and yet it was not only working but the transformation was smoother then he had ever imagined. Sometimes, he wondered what he had done right in his previous life, that he had such a powerful and sweet little boy. 

For himself, he took a blonde hair from one of the vials of hair he had that he had collected from random muggles in London ( _ AN: Honestly while it works for Sev’s character and the story, I really think this is a somewhat creepy thing to do. Please don’t take hair from random people guys) _ and a somewhat illegal experimentation of polyjuice potion that he had tweaked himself, that saved him from detection regardless of what spell was cast as a detection. He transformed from a severe, and somewhat skinny man, into a nondescript, blonde portly little man. Taking Sidor in hand, both of them made their Diagon Alley. This time instead of making their way to Gringotts, he tugged into Sidor into Ollivander's. He had remembered how heartbroken when Sidor had talked about how the Dunce-Who-Lived had gotten a wand, and how he had been pushed aside and declared too  _ worthless,  _ and too  _ stupid  _ to get a wand. The rage that had licked at him then still threatened to overwhelm him even now. He could not believe how callous  _ his son _ had been treated by his biological parents. 

Sidor could not believe his eyes, his Dad had led him towards the wand shop of the alley. Going into the shop, he suddenly felt tugs on his magic. “Ah, Lord Prince, ebony mixed with oak, vampire hair braided with Unicorn hair soaked in thestral blood, the last custom made wand I have made in the last three decades, and Mr Prince, I had a feeling I would be seeing you soon. Little Prince, let the pieces come to you, I had a feeling I would be making a custom wand soon and looks like it would belong to you.” Sidor snapped his head up in surprise,  _ custom wand? _ He was worthy of a  _ custom wand? _ He gave the wand maker a blinding smile and closed his eyes and concentrated hard on his magic. Feeling the tugs on his core intensify, he opened his hand and instantly six items instantly smacked into his hand. Opening his eyes and his palm, he observed the five items in his hand. “Ah, this wand will be powerful young Prince, Holly Wood mixed with Cedar, with the core made up with Phoenix feather, oh my, basilisk blood, with an inlaid Amethyst focus stone. Mr Prince, if I am reading this wand right, it is missing an ingredient from you, am I right?” Sidor turned his head to look at his Dad for permission to turn into his Unicorn alter ego. To his surprise, however, his turned to address Ollivander instead, a little kernel of hurt welled up in him and he couldn't help it. “Mr Ollivander, before Sidor gives you the last ingredient I need a vow of secrecy from you, this cannot leave the confines of this four walls.” Instantly the small well of hurt in him dissipated, his dad was just looking out for him! 

After the vow of secrecy was made, he instantly transformed into his sleek alter ego, and trotted over to his dad, and shook his tail at his dad. His dad gently plucked a tail hair from him and handed it over to Ollivander. “So beautiful… Little Prince, your wand will be ready in two hours, please come to collect it when you are done shopping.” Sidor transformed into himself and was quickly led out of the shop. 

He was lead quickly to Twilight Fittings, and was subjected to an hour of gruelling fitting and left with 5 day robes, 2 dress robes and countless tees and pants, both formal and informal, and new underwear and socks. Then he was to his surprised picked up and carried into the toy store. “Little one, I want you to choose and pick up one toy, you deserve it okay? And I do not want to hear your arguments!” Sidor looked disbelieving at his father, before taking timid steps forward to the shelf that held the most cuddly toys he had ever seen. Running his fingers through the soft toys, immediately a purple dragon that was about half his size caught his eye. He tried to leave the Dragon behind, but he kept going back to it. He picked it up and shyly walked towards his Father and held it out for inspection. “Okay, little prince, let’s give him a home, let’s go.”

Sidor would not let go of his new friend as they made their way back to the wand shop. “Ah, just the people I was waiting for, it’s ready and it is one of the most beautiful wands I have ever made if I do say so myself.” Sidor eagerly reached for the wand, it  _ was  _ beautiful, the two kinds of wood was twirled artistically around each other and the handle made completely out of Holly, and the sides were carved with intricate designs of flames and wind, and at the bottom it was inlaid with the Amethyst that had tugged at his magic, which now had an everlasting flame burning in the centre. The moment Sidor touched the wand, something in him rejoiced, the magic of the wand and the magic in him sang and intertwined with each other. Sparks shot out of the wand, and invisible wind ruffled through his hair, while his now ice blue eyes glowed with power. 

* * *

 

In the galaxies beyond, Lady magic smiled.   

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay real talk, a lot of the experiences that I have put Sidor through is something that I have seen people close to me go through. The ice trick that is above is something that truly worked for a friend of mine, it was her crutch while she was trying to throw away her blade, and for her, it was a stepping stone. So, if you guys are suffering, please do find a method that works for you okay? You are worth it.


	11. Lupo et Canis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lupo et canis - (Latin) Wolf and Dog

Sirius Black could not wait to see his godson again soon, after returning home from his mission 3 days after his godson and his twin’s birthday, (truth to be told, he was the godfather to both Harry and Leo, but after how badly he saw Leo treat Harry, and how  _ James Potter and Lily Potter _ coddle and pamper the boy, he had secretly with the approval of his mate denounced the boy as his godson, and had started to pull away from the Potter couple. At this point, the only reason he still put up with the Potter couple was for  _ Harry _ , his adorable little godson, who regardless of how much affection he tried to shower on him, still was uncertain and painfully insecure. In fact he loved the little boy so much, and knowing that he and Remus would never be able to carry a child - regardless of the number of potions that allowed one of them to carry a child in the wizarding world, he knew that the damage his mate had sustained due to moon, they would never do it - he had made the little tyke his heir, Harry James Potter would become the Black Lord upon his passing, and regardless of how proud the Potter family was of their inheritance, the Potter wealth is nought but a drop of water when compared to his, and his timid little godson will be slated to receive everything ) he had spent the next 4 days nursing his mate back to health after a terrible moon that had left him not only injured but feverish. Now, however, with Remy back to his sexy self, it was time to go see the little tyke.  __ He had  _ missed _ Harry, and truthfully he was very  _ very _ worried about the little boy, the kid was stick-thin and seemed to flinch away from touch recently in the last two months, and that to him two glaring red flags in his face. If his godson was being abused, nothing on this earth will stop him from rescuing the child, he godson deserved the world and more. 

“Remmmmyyyyyy! Let’s go!! Come on! I want to see Harry again, and I know u do too!”

The soft smile of his husband greeted Sirius and in his arms were two cuddly soft toys and books, the smaller one was to go to Leo and the larger softer one shaped like a wolf was to go to Harry ( Sirius had given Harry the black dog soft toy on his last birthday, and now he will complete the collection. Unbeknownst to the Canine couple however, was that none of the gifts that they had ever given Harry had ever made it to him, instead they now litter the floors of Leo’s bedroom, or sat collecting dust on his bookshelves) The books were a gift from Remus to Harry, interestingly, while Harry had instantly become part of Remus’s pack, Leo had not. And to Remus, (who through the love and affection of his mate, who had instantly started researching on Werewolves the moment he had found out) had accepted his wolf, (the transformations were easier, and his thoughts and his wolf’s had merged, and he longer need to take the  _ poison _ that was wolfsbane to stay sane. Although he still pretended to, in order to fool Albus Dumbledore, whom his mate and he had started to lose faith in when he had started training Leo at five and completely ignored Harry.) it meant and signified a lot. 

Sirius gripped Remus’s arm tightly and they both apparated to Potter Manor.

“Ah, Padfoot, Moony, wondered when you will be dropping by, good to see you are those for Leo?” The deep timbre of James’s voice rang out the moment the crack of apparition had cleared. 

“No Prongs, half are for Harry, the other is for Leo, now where is my godson?” While Sirius was referring to Harry, James definitely thought the ex-marauder was referring to Leo. 

“Leo is in his room guys, the Squib’s gift you can pass to me, he doesn’t live here anymore. He kept terrorizing Leo, so we sent him away.”

“JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER WHAT DID YOU DO TO HARRY?! AND HOW DARE YOU CALL HIM SQUIB?!” Both Sirius and Remus’s worst fears were playing out in front of them in a sickening nightmare. Their precious little godson  _ sent away?! _ Remus kept a tight grip on Sirius’s arm, (thank you werewolf strength) keeping him from attacking James, and snarled out his own question. “Where is he you filth?” 

The shock on James’s face was something to behold, but the rage and anger started to creep up into his posture quickly. “You are Leo’s godparents, you are not to care about Harry. Leo deserves all your love and concern, not that freak! As for where he is, I do not know nor care to, I had Dumbledore obliviate me and Lils of that freaks current location, he will not bring shame to this family again!”

This time, Remus no longer cared if his husband beat up James or not, in fact inwardly he even thought that James Potter deserved it. Remus let go. Instantly, Sirius flew at James Potter and clocked him a good one directly on his nose, the wet crack that rang out proved that the nose in question had instantly broken. 

“I, Sirius Orion Black, formally disavow my bond with Leo Fleamont Potter, I break the bond between us that links as godfather and godchild. May magic hear my plea, and grant my wish. Under the power of Lord Black, I renounce the bond of brotherhood and friendship to James Fleamont Potter, Lord Potter, under the suit of mistreatment of my heir, heir Black. From this day forward, may Lily J. Evens-Potter, Leo Fleamont Potter, and James Fleamont Potter never find comfort in my home, and taste food from my table. They are cast out from my home, my family, my life. So mote it be.”

“So mote it be” Remus muttered before following up with his own ritualistic words. “I, Remus John Lupin, formally disavow my bond with Leo Fleamont Potter, I break the bond between us that links as godfather and godchild. May magic hear my plea, and grant my wish. Under the power granted to me by the moon goddess for being her chosen and moon-kissed, I cast James Fleamont Potter and Lily J Evens-Potter from my pack, May they never rest their feets on my land, May they never be protected from the moon by my claws, may my teeth never bite in their name. My wolf will not remember your scent, my eyes your face, my heart your soul. They are cast out from my home, my family, my life. So mote it be.”

“So mote it be”

James went utterly still unable to believe that the two friends he had all his life had just done that. They had not only forsworn Leo as their godson, but they had also even broken the bonds of friendship, which had been strengthened by hardship and war between him, Lily and them. James for the life of him could not comprehend the scenario that was playing out in front of him, and could only watch mutely as his former best friends apparated away as blood slowly trickled down his broken nose.

* * *

 

Remus gripped his mate as they both apparated into Diagon Alley, they had no idea where to start and where to even go looking, but they were determined, they needed to find their cub. “ _ Human, I smell cub! _ ” Instantly, Remus jerked his head up and begun sniffing the air, he had never been gladder of the fact that he had merged with his wolf and now although they had different thoughts sometimes and could communicate in their head, they were one and the same. This lead to Remus having a stronger sense of smell even outside of the full moon and wolf form. ( He could now shift at will but was unable to control the need to shift at the full moon, otherwise, he was healthy and basically an animagus). Jerking on the hand that still held on to Sirius’s forearm he began to follow the smell. “Wha..? OH, Mooney! Find our cub!” The two of them followed the scent of their cub and came to a dead stop as something crashed into them. 

* * *

 

Sidor happily swung his father’s hand that was gripping his smaller hand as they exited the wand shop.  _ He had a wand! _ He could not believe that his dad and bought  _ him _ , Sidor Nicholas Prince a wand! Suddenly, a very familiar brush of Magic swept pass his senses,  _ could it be? _ He swivelled his head around eagerly looking for the source, oblivious to the bemused yet confused expression that his father now wore. “Little one? What are you loo-“ before his father could finish his sentence, Sidor took off finally having found the source, dragging poor Severus behind him. 

“Uncle Moony! Uncle Padfoot! Sidor ran quickly toward his godfathers, concentrating hard on letting his disguise fall and letting his appearance before the adoption come to the surface. “Cub!” Came the deep gravelly voice of Uncle Moony before the strong arms of Uncle Padfoot swung him up. 

“Black, Lupin, I know you have a lot of questions, but this is not the place, let us finish shopping, and we shall head back to my Manor, and I will explain everything to you. I’m Snape if your imbecile minds have not figured it out.” 

Severus could not believe his rotten luck. It seemed like a split second before he was literally dragged headlong into the two mutts. ( It was at this point he could not be more thankful to Penerelle, without her the feelings of hurt, anger and resentment when facing these two might have caused him to hex first and questions later.) However, a deep part of him was very glad that they had met with the Mutts, for although little Sidor’s biological parents were awful, the love and appreciation the little one had for the love and support these two gave him was enough to help his little prince hold on until he could be rescued. At this point, even though they were the last person that he wanted to seek help from, Sidor needed all the help he could get, and for him, he was willing to do anything. 

The two Mutts had a silent conversation with each other before turning to him. “Snape, we want an explanation, but we are willing to wait as long as you let us buy a few things for the tyke.” Severus let out a breath he did not know he was holding and nodded his agreement. 

“Little one, blond hair and different features please?” It was going to be a long day, he just knew it.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, finally tied up that loose end! Now onwards and upwards. Thanks for the kudos and comments, I really really appreciate it.


	12. Indutiae adque Lectio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Indutiae adque Lectio - (Latin) Truces and lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *alarm bells* Warning triggers ahead.

In front of his very eyes, Sirius black watched disbelieving as his pup changed from a black-haired scrawny little imp, into a blond lean but not skinny little bugger.  _ His godson had the black gift! _ How did he not know that? And Why was it only showing now? Startled he looked up and caught the gaze of one Severus Snape, longtime victim and enemy of the Marauders. (To be honest, now that he was older and somewhat wiser, he could see how much grief he had caused the man in front of him, and how erroneous he had been in the past. He was not ashamed to say that he had been wrong, and now with a few intervening years since he last saw the old bat, he no longer felt the all-encompassing need to be cruel to the tall and somewhat elegant man, in fact he suspected that not only did he owe the man an apology but thanks as well.) The intense gaze told him all that he needed to know at that time point,  _ now was not the time nor place to ask questions _ , Sirius closed his eyes briefly,  _ oh his poor cub, what had they done to you? _ And nodded. He wanted explanations yesterday, but if it meant that his cub was safe, he was willing to wait a little longer. 

Little Harry (AN: Sirius doesn’t know about the name change yet, so yes it gonna be Harry for now, but in truth in my story, Sidor/Harry, is almost never called by his name, so Sirius will not know until he is told by Sev) wriggled in his arms, and Sirius gently set him down, to his surprise, the little boy ran straight to Severus and shyly asked to be picked up. That was only one of the firsts of many shocks he would receive during their entire shopping trip. When the little boy had called Snape  _ dad _ and then fallen asleep on the man halfway through shopping, he had nearly gotten a heart attack. If you had told him one year ago, heck 3 hours ago that Severus Snape would have made a better father than James Potter, he would have laughed himself silly before directing you to the nearest apparition point to take you to St Mungos to be examined, but now after watching Snape patiently guide his little cob through the shops, buying things that the little boy both needed and wanted that was within reason, and knowing Potter had abandoned this young child, he could unequivocally say yes, Severus Snape was definitely the better Father out of the two.

After two more long and never-ending hours of shopping, in which Sirius’s patience was tested to the limit, it was finally time to get some answers. Snape held up a beaten looking hat and with Harry fast asleep clinging to the potion master, both he and Remy touched the hat and instantly they felt the jerk behind their navel and were jerked away towards their unknown location. 

* * *

 

Severus Snape - or was it Prince now? - landed on in the sitting room of Flamel manor still clutching onto his sleeping son, and surrounded by the bullies of his childhood. Holding up a hand, he magically silenced the room, pointing down to the limpet clutching to his chest. The tirade that was building in Black instantly was cut short, and he fell silent. Going to the sofa, he sat down and placed Harry down onto the sofa, with his little Prince’s head cradled in his lap. While he did not want Sidor to hear the upcoming conversation, he dare not leave the little one alone in his room. God knows what would happen if he left the little one alone, while Sidor was getting better, he was still not at a stage that anyone in this house would comfortably leave him alone. Worst still, the Flamel couple was not at home this noon, both had decided to spend a _romantic_ ( Severus shuddered thinking about it, for one who on earth would want to think about your _parents_ doing _it_ , and second both of them were over _600 years_ _old_ , and somehow that made it even worse.) day together and were only slated to come home tonight, for dinner and Pen’s counselling session with the little one. Unconsciously, he started to stroke the little head and cast a localised silencing charm around the small body, so that while they could hear Sidor, Sidor could not hear them. 

Raising his hand, he cut off the Lupin who was starting to open his mouth. And cast yet another silencing charm around the two mutts, so that they would not able to interrupt him. “Before you start, I am going to explain everything, and it will do you good to sit there and listen!” The two mutts were struck dumb, and instantly he felt rather than saw the two intense gaze that was directed at him. 

So he began, telling the two idiots in the room, the sordid tale of what on earth had happened to their godson, from the neglect and abuse that he had suffered, to the magical binds that were discovered on the magical core, to the self-harm and anorexia that little boy that now suffered because of it. While, he talked he started to dump parchment upon parchment upon the coffee table between them, knowing that the two mutts were not going to believe him just by him telling the tale, thus necessitated the need for hard proof when the tale was being told. 

The two mutts in front of him were stunned speechless, and Lupin instinctively reached forward towards the stack of parchment in front of him and started to read through, Black read over the shoulder of his mate, and Severus could see that the two canines face started to pale, and if he strained his ears he could even hear the low whimper that seems to emerge from the wolf’s throat. Bracing himself, he waved his wand the dispelled the silencing charms on the two dogs, “Questions?”

To his surprise, instead of the barrage of questions that was sure to fly his way, with Albus Dumbledore being the two mutts benefactor and  _ mentor _ , he was pretty sure that words would start flying and even hexes. Instead, a hand was thrust in his direction. 

“I think, even if I apologise to you for a thousand years, I still will be unable to apologise for the torment that I have put you through. All I can say about is, I was immature, and I was at fault. What you have done for my godson, Harry, or Sidor as he is now, I cannot repay even if I try for the rest of my life. You have helped him, even we as his sworn godfathers have failed him. Now all I can pray is that you still allow me into Sidor’s life. Not for me, not for Remus, but for the little one, he deserves so much more than I can give him, but I hope to try.” 

Severus was shocked speechless, never in his life would he have thought that he would Sirius Black apologising to him. It was not only surreal, but something in him (that no matter how many hours he had put in working it through with Penerelle) that was that hurt 11-year-old child he was years ago, finally, finally let go of the anger, let go of the pain, and that small hidden battered and bruise part of him was started to scab over and heal. He stood and took the hand of the man,  _ Sirius Black has grown up _ , that was standing in front of him. 

“You and I are very different people from when we were 11. It would take too long to undo all the hurt, and dress all the wounds. For those 7 years, I gave it as good as I got. For that special little boy lying on the couch, I am willing to put it all behind. I am willing to start over. Therefore, hello, I am Severus Prince, nice to meet you.”

The smile he was greeted with blinding, and to his surprise, the hand he was shaking suddenly pulled him forward, and he felt 2 pairs of arms envelope him in a hug. Somehow the  _ wolf _  had come up behind his dog husband and suddenly these people were  _ hugging  _ him. He  _ could not _ believe how much he was willing to put up with for the little boy that had stolen his heart. 

* * *

 

Sidor Prince was way too excited. Just yesterday, he had found his godfathers, and now all the people who had ever cared for the  _ freak _  was there for him. And he had been provided with a schedule for the lessons that were not only allowed to take, but given an opportunity to do the best he could at it, and  _ all the people he loved were teaching him.  _ He could not wait. Now after breakfast, he was about to start elemental lessons with his dad, who to his surprise also commanded the elements at his fingertips. Now he only needed to make it through breakfast, and how he wished he did not have to wade through the whole disgusting mess. 

To his disappointment, he was not able to slip the leash that his dad had metaphorically put on him. The black shape beside him on the bed shifted, stretched and woke up even before he managed to sneak out of bed. (To be honest, somewhere deep inside of him loved how much his dad seemed to care about him, but now when he was trying to be more  _ perfect _ , he was more than slightly annoyed that he could not slip his watchers.) Instantly strong warm arms came around him and a silky voice reverberated into his ears. “Morning little one, no trying to escape me, you have a long day in front of you, and you need to fuel your body. You are already more than perfect to me, to Pen, Nick, and to your godfathers, you have no need to chase perfection anymore. Do you understand me?” 

Unwillingly, Sidor felt the tears start pouring down his cheeks as he turned around and buried his head deeper into the warm chest that was beating with warmth and comfort.  _ He really did not want to start his day like this! But oh, he loved his dad, and somehow no matter how much he wanted to be annoyed with his dad, he could not be.  _

After a gruelling breakfast, where it ended up with him in his dad’s lap and slowly being spoon feed, and his arms being restrained so that he could not hurt himself nor force the food out from his throat. He was carried to the training room of the manor, where according to Grandpa Nick was used for practising spells and trying new magic. Grandpa Nick had put it in after his son, Sidor’s Dad and blew up a room trying to control his elemental powers, and now it was going to be used to train him in all areas of magic, and he could  _ not _ wait. 

“Okay, little one, close your eyes and look for your core.” 

Sidor obeyed and closed his eyes, looking inside of him for his magic, instantly he found his magic, an evermoving ocean of magic, quickly he swam into the middle. Surrounded by his magic, he instantly was filled by a wave of calm and power, here, he felt that he could do anything. The soothing voice of his father directed him to connect with it and let it flow into his hands. 

“Now imagine the fire burning in your palm, feel the heat, feel the flames flickering. Imagine it dancing in your hands, imagine the light it gives off.”

Sidor did as he was bid, and instantly he felt the wave of magic well up in his hands, and the flame flicker to life in his palms. 

Severus could not believe his eyes. While he was very optimistic about Sidor and his magical control, but he remembered his own efforts and he remembered the tales his own elemental teacher had told him. While he himself, had managed to produce flame on his third try, he was in the top 0.5%, and in fact, his elemental teacher had told him it took an average of over 10 times to produce flames, for any of the other elementals that his teacher had taught. Yet, the little one in front of him had not only produced flames on the first try but now right in front of him was starting to play with it, changing the size and even shaping it to different shapes. And he could not help but laugh when he saw the flames started to form the familiar unicorn shape, that he had come to love. 

* * *

 

Lady Magic could not help but laugh at the scene that played out between her chosens. She had watched her dark prince through his twenty odd years, and she had not seen anyone or anything that had continued to surprise him like her tiny prince. Now with her princes now reunited with her moon-blessed knights, almost all her players were in the ring, and there only a few more pieces left before her kingdom was complete. Now, however, maybe it is time to play with those who did not treasure what and who they have blessed with. She smirked, it was  _ time to play.  _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need a little help guys, I'm conducting a poll. Should Hermione be good or bad in this story?


	13. Mihi vindicta, et de natalibus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mihi vindicta, et de natalibus - (Latin) Revenge, and birthdays

So for the next 12 months, the Potters had almost little thing go wrong. The whole magical world pretty much ran solely on magic, and because of that Lady Magic had almost absolute control and with that control, she used it to mess with the Potters. The speed at which Leo’s magic lessons progressed almost ground to a halt. The Potter couple felt that for their precious sprog need not bother with the less flashy areas of magic, for there was no need for sprog to muck around in the dirt or be immersed in potion fumes. So, therefore, Leo was solely focused on spells, charms, hexes only on the things that he needed to use a wand for, thus potions, herbology, and all of their like. While in the past, Leo’s progress had managed to gain momentum to learn and perfect a spell every day, now after gaining Lady Magic’s ire, his progress slowed to a spell a week if that. In fact, Leo had been stuck on  _ expelliarmus _ for the last 2 weeks. Because of the slow progress of the lessons, the fighting between Albus Dumbledore, James Potter and Lily Potter increased drastically and now a week has not gone by that a screaming match has not erupted, regardless of much manipulation and how thick the grandfatherly act Dumbledore laid down, the fights continued. 

For James Potter, Lily Potter and Albus Dumbledore, things in their houses and rooms that ran on magic randomly failed. In fact, over the past 12 months, the Potter family had to replace their magical lights at least four times, and Dumbledore three times. All three had their magic turned on them, their spells randomly backfired, but not often enough that they thought anything was gravely wrong, and instead they thought they were simply overtired, and that they had done the spells wrong. If they had approached any medical professional, they would have been told that something was wrong, but all three had pride so strong they did not tell anyone or ask for help. 

Lady Magic knew that she may be going too far too fast, but she did not care no one hurt her chosen and got away with it. The Potter couple may have started off being manipulated by the headidiot, but as times passed, and Dumbledore slowly revealed more and more plans to them, their hearts had grown darker and colder. They were the ones that had taken the final step and had let the care and warmth completely drained away from them. To Lady Magic, to abandon a child, be it magical or not, to someone or somewhere to be abused or hurt was unforgivable. She still had many years to play them, and she knew she had to do it slowly but sometimes, she just could not help but wanting to do more the hurt the ones that hurt a child, and wanting to teach them what they had done wrong. 

* * *

 

Leo woke up in the morning of 31st July 1987, super excited, he was  _ seven! _ And most importantly of all, he was going to get  _ presents! Many many presents! _ Everything else pales in comparison to how many presents he knew he was going to get. Excitedly he ran to his parents' room, without his  _ useless brother _ this year, he knew for sure he was going to get more presents! 

James Potter looked around his ballroom, his precious little prongslet turned seven today and in front of all these people, he was once again holding court. Annoyingly, however, today just seemed to be a day that his magic was a little wonky, and no matter how much he  _ tried _ or his little kiddo asked, he could not seem to turn into a stag to allow the little one a ride. This had not happened to him before, but he did have a very late night last night wrapping all 100 presents he had bought for him, and Lils right next to him wrapping her own 100 presents. He blamed how tired he felt for the reason his magic was not working, he hoped no one noticed. He plastered a proud grin onto his face and strode towards where little prongslet was, no more grousing, it was the kid’s special day, and he had to make it special, and there were too many people watching for him to do anything else. 

* * *

 

Severus Prince woke up with a start, and for a second his brain could not come online. He looked down and saw a dark little head tucked into his chest, and he could not help but smile as he carded his hand through the unruly mop, and he felt his little prince unconsciously snuggle closer into his chest. His brain caught up to the date,  _ 31 July _ , his little one had turned 7!  Not only that, this almost marks one year that the small one has been with them. In that time, Sidor had really progressed forward in leaps and bounds, be it in his magical training, his education, or his health both mental and physical. After 364 days, Severus had finally admitted to himself that the little one in his arms was the best thing that had happened to him, and without the little prince in his arms, there was no way he would have experienced the highs he had, which was only made sweeter by the lows. In fact if he looked back across the 12 months, he had done things and experienced things beyond his wildest, the tyke even got him and the two  _ mutts _ \- maybe he should start calling them by their name,  _ nahhhh _ he was not that  _ nice _ \- were somewhat friends and somewhat on good terms, in fact, he had even caught the  _ dog _ laughing at his snark the other day. 

Back to the little one in his arms though, he had really grown in leaps and bounds. Even his height and looks have changed. When he first had the little one, he was a scrawny little thing, standing at  2 feet 11 inches weighing 11.7kg, now however he was standing at a more normal height for an almost 7-year-old 3 feet 11 inches, still a little short, but a lot better than it used to be. More importantly, he had managed to put some meat and fat onto those delicate bones of his little prince, and now he sat at 16.3kg, still underweight, but the little one has been getting better. Yes, the small one was still struggling from day to day about meals, about food, but things have been improving, from restraining the little one and hand-feeding and on worst days even tube-feeding and forcing nutrient potion down the small throat, to the child slowly and willingly eating small meals every other meal time, and things were looking up. The proudest part of all of this is that his little prince, the little one, had willingly handed over his blades and had been clean for 4 months!

_ Flashback _

_“Da..d... Dad? I want to…. I need to…. give you something.”_ _Severus looked up from the potion’s tome that he had been reading. It had been 8 months since Sidor had been essentially kidnapped with the help of Lady Magic to live with them. In that amount of time, the little one had grown in leaps and bounds, and just last month they had finally put the little guy off of the 24-hour watch. However, the little prince was not sleeping alone, and he would not be for just 2 days ago when he was just 20 minutes late, he had found his prince slashing his wrists again, and Severus would do anything to not to see that ever again. Now, his little prince had come from his Alchemy lessons with Nick and had wanted to give him something, and he should really pay attention, Severus! (faint sobbing sounds comes from the fourth walls as it shatters into a million pieces.)_

_ “Yes, little one?”  _

_ The only thing he saw or heard was the little one, extending one hand with a messily wrapped package. “What is it, my little prince?” He took the package and unwrapped it. To his utter surprise in the package, there was 2 switchblades, 3 pins and 4 pieces of glass, and a razor blade. They were all tinged with blood,  _ Sidor’s blood,  _ his little one had just willingly given him his blades! And at this point, he could not be more proud.  _

_ “Grandma Pen said that this was a good step for me to take, and that was my decision to do it. I… I had been thinking about it for about a month, I...I think it is, It is the right time. Dad…. can you hold this for me, I think… I think…. It’s time I said I goodbye to them.” _

_ Severus could not help himself, he put the package aside and tugged the little boy closer to him and hugged him tightly. Oh his precious little one, his amazing little prince, he loved his little imp, so so much. And he was so so proud, he was fit to burst with pride at this point. _

_ Flashback End  _

In terms of his magical education,  his little one surpassed his wildest dreams, after 12 months in lessons, the child has surpassed most second years in six months into their second year. Not only that, he had a more well-rounded education than most students in the country, taking not only all the core classes in Hogwarts, but alongside that, French, Latin, Alchemy, Ancient Runes and Alchemy, alongside lessons in elemental control and mind magics. At first, he was really worried at the amount of coursework and lessons that was dumped on the child, but little Sidor took to it like fish to water and in fact most of the lessons he had asked for, and was happier for it. In his arms, the little one started to twitch and wake up. “Morning little one, it is a big big day for you. My little prince is turning seven today!”

Sidor could not believe his eyes, his morning was already beyond his imagination, he was woken up with wishes from his birthday from his Dad, and from his Grandparents. He did not expect them to even remember his birthday but there they were. After breakfast, where he had managed to eat thank you very much, he was then blindfolded by his dad and car to the main sitting hall of the mansion. When the blindfold was removed, he was greeted by all the adults who were teaching him and cared for him. Sirius, Remus, his grandparents, and his dad were all there and on the table was a pile of presents that was taller than him. “Than..thank you, this for Sidor? Really?” “Yes little one, is there anyone else named Sidor here?”

Penerelle could feel her heart breaking, her little Fledging, was so grateful and so thankful just to have birthday wishes, for someone to remember his birthday. She watched as he was slowly lead to the coffee table and was handed his gifts one by one. She knew that they had gone overboard a little, but if anyone deserved spoiling it was the little boy in front of her. Between her and Nick, they had bought the tyke over 15 presents, and she knew her son bought him another 7 and the Black-Lupin couple bought him another 20. All in total, she knew the packages on the table, contained everything from clothes, to toys, to a new broom, to books, between 5 of them they had almost everything under the sun they thought he might want, and then some. She did not think that the little boy had even received that many over the last 6 years, but honestly looking at the little face light up everytime he opened a present, she couldn't bring herself to regret it. She silently vowed to herself silently that the little one will not spend another lonely birthday wishing himself happy birthday alone ever again.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, it looks like good Hermione is winning, keep it coming guys, the poll is still open.
> 
> Honestly, to tell you the truth, I am not entirely very happy with this chapter, I might come back to edit this in the future, and its a somewhat filler chapter, asdfghjkl.


	14. Locus quatuor annis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Locus quatuor annis - (latin) The passage of four years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got you, Bethany :>

Lady magic smiled as she watched her Chosens grow and age as the years passed. It has been four years since she had watched her younger Prince celebrate his seventh birthday and she could not be prouder of the both of her Princes, nor could be happier for them.

Her dark Prince, the older one, for years she had despaired over him, worrying as he was beaten down by an alcoholic father and a beaten down and timid mother. She had tried many times to step in to tweak his circumstances, but nothing seemed help, tugs on magics and conveniently sent memos and notices just did not seem to be noticed, she was truly helpless in this scenario. Once he had gotten to school, things just got from bad to worst, under Dumbledore clutches, her poor dark prince was tormented by two of her moon-blessed that was controlled by compulsions and potions, (which thank god had managed to remove the moment, her Grim out on his Black Lordship ring, and her Wolf put on his Black Consort ring, instantly she had twisted the strands of magic and had cleared every single controlling magic that had ever been on and still is on them.) and the cowardly rat and the soon-to-be black-hearted forsaken. She had hoped and prayed that the other two members of the infamous Marauders, was equally twisted and controlled by Dumbledork, but to her disappointment, one became a Dumbleidiot lacky and the other became a Voldidoit lacky. It broke her heart, each and every one of her magic users, witch, wizard, child or creature, was part of her heart, some she would admit that have a bigger piece than others, but it was true everyone mattered to her. When he had turned 15, she saw what would happen in his future if she allowed the strands to fall as they were, she knew she needed to interfere immediately, so she did. She tugged and pulled at the strands of magic, and sent him the Flamel couple. Under their tutelage, she watched him bloom, grow and heal. But she knew that there was a piece still missing to completely heal her dark prince. Yes she removed him from the situation, heck the Flamel couple completely removed him from Hogwarts, thwarted the old coots’ demented plan to trap him in a life debt with with Pothead, made sure that he was never trapped between two demented masters, helped him to path a route in which he would attain success and acknowledgement for his skills. But in the end, she knew her dark Prince was lonely and needed someone to take care of. Now she knew that this was something that was coming she Saw it, and she knew while she needed to pull a little on the strains of magic, it would all naturally fall into place.

Her emerald Prince, she knew was the missing piece. For the first year of his life, she was relieved, for the young prince was treated fairly, maybe slightly over-pampered but he received what he needed, and exactly the same as his twin. For the second year, she watched in mute horror as the Potter couple started to neglect her chosen. For his third to fifth birthdays, her heart broke as she watched as her prince started to undergo _slave training_ and started getting more and more abuse heaped on him. The straw broke the camel’s back when she watched him take a blade across his wrist the first time, and when the abuse got too much that it had hurt him so much psychologically that he stopped eating. She tugged and pulled at the strings of magic to get him out of that situation, and she sent her dark prince to save him. The letter that Potter left with the small boy enraged her. There were spells and compulsions layered upon the letter, that no matter how much of a conscious the Muggle family might have had, which she knew was always non-existence, her little emerald prince would have been abused, neglected and degraded. The letter itself only had two lines, “Take the burden, do whatever, just make sure he still lives when he turns eleven.” It was signed Lily Potter, and the last amount of hope she had for either of the Potter couple waned and died. She breathed a sigh of relief when her two Princes finally meet.

The five years after her two Princes meet went beyond her hopes and dreams. Her Dark Prince was happier and was in such a better place both mentally and physically all for taking care of the younger it was amazing. Not only that, the years have packed on lean muscle due to training the young one, chasing him around and carrying him around. The years seemed to have peeled away and made him look his age and maybe even younger, the frowns have fallen away, leaving the still sarcastic but somewhat kind man behind. Her young prince is who surprised her the most, the young chosen now far outstripped most sixth years in his education. Not only that, in terms of alchemy, the young tyke was almost at the stage where most alchemy masters would declare him a master and in fact, Nicolas Flamel, she knew was almost about to guide him to make a Philosopher’s stone, the penultimate achievement for any alchemist, and one that in recent memory only Nicolas had achieved. In terms of his talents, elementally he was almost as proficient as his father and his mind magics although still inferior to Severus, would easily keep both Dumbleidiot and Voldidiot out. Even though the young one had already accomplished so much, what was equally impressive was that in terms of language he was now fluent in French and Latin, he was now learning German and Italian. The young one even found time to pick up heir training as well. Well, the education of the young mind was important, what made her the proudest of the little Prince was the fact that his own metal psyche had healed and that little Sidor had not picked up a blade in almost four and a half years, and had not refused food in almost 2. Yes, the Prince would most likely have to take an appetite stimulant for the rest of his life, for when they have stopped it the little Prince have stopped eating almost immediately losing any hint of his appetite. With regular food, Sidor had grown, and finally, _finally_ , attained the height he should have had, in fact, had outstripped it, standing at 4 feet 10 inches, (above average for age) and 32kg, while lighter than he necessarily should be especially for his height, he was healthy.

These five years have been kind to her chosens, and she hoped that the next few would be as well.

* * *

 

Severus woke up with a sudden oomph as a small warm body collided with his. Blurrily he opened his eyes only to see two impossibly green ones staring back at him. “Dad! Dad! Dad! Today is the day, do you think I will get in? Do you think I will get a Hogwarts letter?” Internally, he could not help but coo at the not so little boy on his lap, but externally he smirked and lifted his son up, “Well we will see won’t we, little brat? Now go wash up, and I will see you downstairs for breakfast.” The imp pulled a face at him and scampered off in the direction of his room. Chuckling to himself, he also went off to his bathroom. His little imp had come a long way, and honestly, the worry for the past week if he would get into Hogwarts, was needless, the little one had magic and power at his fingertips.

He walked towards the dining table and the only thing he could see was little Sidor staring sadly, resolutely sitting on his hands, sitting at the table while both the Flamel couple was sitting around the little boy. His heart sank, and he almost gasped in disbelief. It was impossible! His son was more magical than 99% of their community, how on earth did he not get into Hogwarts?! He walked quicker and gathered up his child into his arms. “Hush little one, you woke us up at 7 am in the morning, the poor owl is probably still flying. Don’t worry about it, come and eat breakfast, I am very sure you will get the letter after breakfast.” He sat his little son on his chair and handed him the appetite stimulant. “No, don’t shake your head at me, eat, and then your letter will come, I am very sure of it.” Sidor sat down sulkily and starting eating, but Severus could see that more food was being banished then what was being transferred into his mouth. He sighed and held out his hand for the wand he knew his son was waving under the table. It has been almost 25 months since his son had pulled this trick and he hoped his prince never will again, but sometimes these little things are too much and push little Sidor to relapse back into bad habits. Guilty green eyes looked up at him and handed his wand over, Severus pulled the little one up and into his lap, “Eat, properly this time.”

30 minutes into the meal, with Sidor barely eating more than half the plate of food. An owl flew through the window. Plucking the letter from the owl and feeding it bits of bacon, Severus glanced at it briefly. On top of it scrawled,

_To: Mr Sidor Nicolas Prince_

_Circular Bedroom, Family wing_

_Flamel Castle_

_Ireland_

  
“Little one, your letter.”  The little boy on his lap froze and looked up, his hand shakily reached out and grabbed onto the envelope like it was a lifeline. “I got in?” came the little voice. Shaking his head fondly, Severus stoke the little head, “Yes little one, you got in.” _Ah now_ , all his plans had fallen perfectly into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, it looks like Hermione will be on Sidor's side, hmmmm this will be fun. Anyone else with violent objections do raise them up!


	15. Inventio est ad mortem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inventio est ad mortem - (Latin) Discovery of the death

“Merlin fucking bollocks! How on merlin saggy tits did that stupid boy die!” Albus Dumbledore was insanely hacked off, of all the stupid things the boy had to do, he had to die. Now all the magical power that he could have had, was all gone, at a time where he had nearly completed his _borrowing_ (or rather _stealing_ ) of magical power from the _useless snakes,_ and _anyone_ in _his_ _kingdom_ that was a _little bit_ too powerful. Now his crowning jewel was gone, the _thrice damn-ed_ letter simply refused to be sent out, and when he went to the Dursley house, all he found was an empty house. The blasted muggles, and due to the fact that they have no magical core, He, the _great_ Albus Dumbledore could not track them. At this point, he had only one conclusion,  (in his mind no one will rescue that useless lump of flesh, he was not even useful as a bloody servant, and was way too ugly and small to be used as a way to vent _frustration_ out on) the boy was dead. And it put a further kink in his plans, with the Freak out of the way, there was no one to throw out in front of his Pawn-Who-Lived (to ensure that piece only died at the right time) as cannon folder. This whole situation was just ticking him off, and as he threw another piece of pottery at the wall in his office, he hated that he needed to re-arrange his plans. 

_ Hmm…  _ actually, if he could not find the body nor the boy, it might actually play into a good reason for him to send some of the more suspicious order members onto useless missions so that they would not corrupt the  _ obedient pawns _ .  _ Hmmm…. It was actually a good idea.  _

“Are you sure he is dead Albus?” Lily Potter could not be happier, her useless child is finally gone, no longer did she have to bear the burden of supporting that waste of space. Especially with her little angel going to school, her little precious deserved better than having to face and spend time with the freak, even being in the same space with that monstrosity was just too much for her little darling. “Lily, I am sorry to inform you, while there is no definite proof, it is most likely that he is, the trail goes cold almost five years ago. And the letter refused to be sent out. I promise you we will send out people as soon as possible to locate him. In fact, Remus and Sirius are on their way here now to start the search for the boy. We will get to the bottom of this, don’t you worry.”

* * *

 

Severus stared at the letter in his hand, his heart clenched painfully at its contents. He couldn’t believe it, it has been five years, and only now did the  _ manipulative piece of shit  _ start to notice and realize that his little prince is missing.  _ Five years _ , if anything untoward happened within these five years, little Sidor would be alone and with no one coming to aid him. With Sidor at the mental and physical state he was five years ago, the little one would not have survived, and in fact, might not even be walking this earth today. He had never been happier that Lady Magic had decided to intervene that day and tugged so insistently on his magic. It had not only saved the little one, but it had also saved him. It had turned him from a somewhat bitter and caustic man, into a genuinely happy and while still a sarcastic man, he was more open and caring. The little one had saved him, and he couldn’t be more grateful. 

He continued reading the letter that the canines sent him. It detailed how the Headiodit was now sending both of them on a cross-country hunt for the child. It told him to apologise to the child upstairs for not being able to accompany him to the train station. Severus shook his head and put down the letter. Honestly, he sometimes wondered if it was wise to send the child to Hogwarts, but an argument by Pen about how the young one needed to interact with the children of his age, in order to grow emotion-wise and socially he needed to be sent to school. Furthermore, the little one is the Lord Gryffindor and Lord Slytherin and should be allowed to attend the school that was built and infused with the magic of his ancestors. Sometimes, they really couldn’t win, could they? His little one was having his Alchemy lesson, and he really wanted to see the child, maybe it was time to go see what assistance he could offer.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musy gave me a lot of trouble for this chapter, so although it is a little shorter, I am just glad I got it out. Hopefully, I will come back one day to lengthen it.


	16. Diam IX III/IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diam IX III/IV - (Latin) Platform 9 ¾

Sidor open his eyes abruptly and stared at his ceiling, excitement thrummed through him, _today was the day!_ He was going to _Hogwarts!_ He scrambled quickly to his feet and hopped off his bed, it might be slightly _too early_ , but he didn’t want to miss the train! He should go wake up his dad, why was his dad still sleeping? He scampered towards his dad’s room, which after his second year here was now connected to his bedroom by a connecting door near his study table. Creeping into the dark room, he peeked into the room and saw the large dark shape lying peacefully under a dark green duvet. He had not done this in years, but he was still young right? He smirked to himself and took a running jump and landed directly on the black lump. The warm mass below him gave a start and a pair of onyx eyes opened and latched onto his emerald ones. Big warm hands quickly latched onto his sides and started tickling him mercilessly. “Morning little imp, did you really think you could creep up on me, hmm?” “Da... Da... Daddy! St.....Stop! AHAHAHAHAHA I give I GIVE!!”  

Those callused hands that helped him so much in the past five years stilled and instead moved to his hips and lifted him up, and sat him up (no matter how big he seemed to get here with all the care and nurturing, his dad never seemed to have a problem picking him up.) “What is with the early morning surprise wake up call, little one? Its, _tempus,_ 5 am! We have about 2 more hours before we have to be up, little one. Can we go back to sleep?” “But Dadddd… I don’t want to miss the train!! Daddd..” He gave his dad the best puppy-dog-eyed look he could.

Honestly, there are only a few things in this world that Severus Prince could not stand his ground, and one of them was definitely his son’s puppy dog eyes. Large green eyes stared at him, while the light pink puffy lower lip stuck out, and the almost silent whine that is emitting from the throat, even a rock would have melted at his eyes. Severus tried to hold his ground but within minutes he caved, “Okay little one, just stay on the bed for me, while I go and wash up.”  He lifted the little imp up before tucking him into the blanket nest before walking towards the bathroom. He hoped that the darkened surroundings, the warm blanket nest, and the scent of _him_ all around the little Prince, would lure the small one to sleep. It was way too early to be awake.

Fifteen minutes later, he crept back into the room with his bladder relieved and a purple dragon plushie in his hands. (The dragon plushie, the first one that he had ever bought his child, that the little one had named Nightshade, had never left the side of the child when he was asleep.  They had found out that when they tried to remove the Dragon at night, the child would simply summon it back to him. Since then, they simply placed it in his arms when he was tucked in.) He gazed at the bed and unwillingly a smile was tugged unto his face, the small boy is now curled up and snuggled under the covers. The only thing that could be seen was the mop of hair that was on the cranium of the little imp. While the blood adoption and slightly tamed the sable hair, when Sidor was sleeping or had just woken up, the hair reverted to its gravity-defying feats and sometimes even stumped him at the impossibility of it. Today, only the hair standing straight up gave away the location of Sidor. He walked closer to the bed before settling around the little boy and placed Nightshade into Sidor’s arms before pulling both the boy and soft toy into his embrace. It was time to go back to sleep, they still had about 2 hours to nap.

* * *

 

Sidor open his eyes abruptly and stared at the ceiling, excitement thrummed through him, _today was the day!_ He was going to _Hogwarts!_ He should go wake up his dad, why was his dad still sleeping? _Wait a second, hadn’t he already done this?_ He wriggled around in his warm nest and realized that not only was he not in his bed, but there was a warm hard limb across his torso. He turned around and came face to face with the sleeping face of his father. Smiling, he wriggled his hand free,  he could do it, he could finally poke his dad in the nose! He had been trying to do it for the past few years, but somehow his dad always woke up early then him or somehow manages to catch him before he did it. “Not today, little one” A gravelly voice rang out in his ears while the warm limb across his torso moved and caught his hand just before he could make contact with the aquiline nose on his face. “How do you always know!” Sidor whined, “Because, I know you, little prince."

Warm arms latched themselves around his waist and lifted him up before he was placed on the hip on his father and was carried to the bathroom. “This time little one is the correct time to wake up. Let’s go brush those little teeth yes?”

Fifteen minutes later, both father and son reached the dining hall, where not only the Flamel couple were waiting, but the Black couple as well.

_Flashback Start_

_“Mutt. Wolf. What are you both doing here?” As much as the animosity had died down between him and the more decent half of the Marauders, it does not mean that he would ever be_ nice _to the canine pair._

_“Son, after the letter from them, we realized that there was no point for them to be actually searching, so we invited them here! This way, it would be easier for Sirius and Remus to give lessons to the little one, and so that they have a place to hide away for a while.” The kind voice of Perenelle Flamel rang out before the Mutt and Wolf could reply._

_“Siri and Remy! You are staying?” Sidor cut in before he could even reply, a black blur ran past him and into the canines knocking them straight to the ground. Well that settled it, look like he could not object even if he wanted to. Fun._

_Flashback End_

After a filling breakfast, with yet another appetite stimulant potion for the smallest one, all six were done with breakfast. To his surprise, Sidor was lead to the sitting room instead of his bedroom to get his trunk. Once in the sitting room, all the adult members of the small family quickly sat down in a circle leaving Sidor standing uncertainty in the middle. “Come here, little Fledging. Don’t be scared, we just all want to say goodbye properly.”

Sidor went to his Grandma slowly, to his surprise he was instantly picked up and set down between his grandfather’s knee. “Little Colt, your Grandma and I can’t follow you to the platform for your own protection, but we do want to say goodbye properly. Remember that no matter what happens in Hogwarts, we both still love you very very much. Little colt, promise me, you must write to us weekly understand?” Sidor nodded enthusiastically and leaned up to give his granddad a hug.

“Little Fledging, this armband,” She placed a silver and gold armband detailed with two flying owls, the animagus form of both Nick and herself, a Peruvian Vipertooth flying behind the owls, the smallest and only venomous dragon known to wizardkind, one of Severus animagus form (Whenever she thought of the fact that her adoptive son had managed to accomplish the impossible feat and have more than one animagus form, she could not help but swell up in pride.) Behind all the three animals were a grim and a wolf frolicking on the floor, symbolistic of the Black couple. “Can only be removed by us, or you. Please do not remove it, there are protective charms woven into it, that will boost your healing and deflect or absorb minor jinxes and hexes, even some of the darker arts. There is also a detection and tracker spell imbued into it, which will help us monitor your health, when your health drops below a certain level, the rings that each and everyone has will vibrate and heat up. The tracker is not activated currently, but when your health drops too low, or when we activate it, we can find you no matter where we are. It is also a portkey, by touching anyone of our animagus forms, you can portkey to where we are. We only wish to protect you little Fledgling, please allow us to?” Sidor knew how much magic to took to enchant a magical artefact like this, in fact, if he reached out with his magic, he could feel the swirl of magic that was contained in the armband, with magical signatures of every single one of his little family in it. Feeling out further with his empathic powers, he could only feel the love and concern from all the adults that surrounded him. Nodding he held up his arms in the universal sign of a child wanting to be held.  “Oh, little fledging we love you so much, you know that we love you right?”

After a hug by his grandmother, he was shooed off to his godfathers. “Little cub, as much as we wish we could, we can’t follow you to the train station. For both your protection and ours. However, there are a few things we wished to pass to you, number one, this is Marauders map, the password is I solemnly swear I am up to no good. To wipe it, say Mischief managed. It will show you the map of Hogwarts, and all the hideaways and special passageways in and out of school that we have found, and it will also show you every single person in the school, and it will not be affected by any kind of concealment, it will show you their legal name. Tap the map with your wand twice to zoom in the see their full name or just to zoom in to the room. We are trusting you with this, and we hope that you will not break our trust. This is to help you and to possibly protect and warn you, it is not to allow you to hide away and harm yourself or to escape your meals, do you understand?” “Yes Siri, I promise you, I will not misuse and misplace your trust!” “We trust you cub, second, here is a communication mirror, we have the other piece, just say my name and we will always be here no matter what time or what day do you understand.” “Thank you, Remy!”

“Okay, my little Prince, I will be going to you to the train station, so we will say our goodbyes there. Up you get, go get your trunk, before you say anything, yes you can try to use wandless magic to shrink and lighten it.”

Sidor scrambled to his feet excitedly and bounded up to his room, his dad was going to the platform with him! And not only that, he had allowed him to try and use wandless magic! He was rarely allowed to try, all the adults in his life worried that he would burn out his core or loss control, only after six months of pleading did they allow him to try, Even though till today it was not often he was allowed to try on his own.

* * *

 

Sidor looked around the platform excitedly, his trunk in his pocket and his snow-white owl perched on his shoulder. Students of all ages and of all houses crowded around the platform,  Before he left the house, his father had presented him with it. It turned out the little owl had been purchased a few days prior by his dad while he had been in lessons with Pen for healing. He had instantly christened the snowy, Hedwig, and had practically squeezed his father to death in his gratitude. A warm hand clapped itself on his shoulder and turned him around to face his father.

“Okay little one, remember what I have told you a few years ago. We share a telepathic or rather empathetic bond, when you are in trouble project your feelings towards me and think help, I will always come to help you no matter where you are, understand?” “Yes, Daddy, I will make sure to ask for help when I need to, Okay dad?” His dad handed him a pouch, that when he shook, jingled. “Here, little one, there are 12 gallons in there, with some sickles and knuts, buy some stuff off the trolley and it's a little pocket money in case you want owl to order anything. I will send you more money next month. So don’t spend it all at once okay? And lastly remember, to keep your scar hidden, little one okay? I know you can morph it if you can’t do it anymore tell anyone of us okay? We will send you some cream to hide it. Don’t force yourself okay? Lastly, in that trunk of yours are 100 appetite stimulant potions, I will brew and provide you with 100 more by the way of the elves, make sure you take one every meal you understand? Do not make me have to order the Mixie to feed it to you every meal, okay? ”

Sidor teared up, he would miss his dad and his little family so so much. He gave his father another tight hug before he walked towards the train, a new adventure is starting!

Severus looked at his son, as he fingered his own trunks that were shrunken and hidden in his pocket. He will move the world for his little prince, and he would protect that little one with his life, with that thought, he turned and his heel and apparated away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone can guess what Sev is up to? hehe, time for hogwartss!!
> 
> In case you have forgotten who Mixie is, she is one of the elder elves of the Flamel Family


	17. Tramine Amicitiae Fortasse?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tramine Amicitiae Fortasse? -(Latin) A train ride of friendship, maybe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings guys!  
> I have recently been in quick a angsty, so my writing has turned pretty dark as well, so please do take care.

Sidor quickly located an empty compartment and sat down, he was so excited but really really anxious to meet other children of his age. Five years ago, when his Uncle Padfoot and Uncle Moony tried to introduce him and bring him to see other children, he had instantly freaked out flashing back instantly to how his twin and his groupies had treated him. 

_ Flashback  _

_ “Hey pup, we have a surprise for you! Go get your outer coat please!” Sidor bounded to give his godparents a hug before running to get his coat. “Where are we going? Is Dad coming? Is Grandpa and grandma coming?” He grabbed the new dark blue cloak that he had received for his birthday when he had turned seven and ran off to stand by his godparents. “No Cub, it is just us and we have a trip planned, so make sure you have everything you need it, yes?”  _

_ Sidor nodded eagerly and held out his hands for his godparents to take and be side-along apparated. To his surprise, he was apparated into the middle of a theme park in the middle of nowhere. “Where are we?” “Pup, we are in a theme park! And you are going to meet some new friends, yes?”  _

_ Sidor looked around and saw a few kids around him with their parents. He instantly felt as though they were closing in, he instantly felt claustrophobic. He looked around frantically and caught sight of red hair that instantly reminded both his twin and his twin’s best friend Ronald Weasley.  _ FREAK! YOU STUPID SHIT, COME HERE, IT IS TIME FOR HARRY  HUNTING!  _ The taunts and the times he had unwilling been the victim of the numerous hunts that his twin and his gang had done started to bounce around in his head.  _ OHHHHH HARRYYYY, COME HERE YOU STUPID FREAK!  _ Sidor clapped his hands to his ears and started shaking his head. “Un...cle… Pad….foott… I..l can’t…. I can’t… breath” His breath got shorter and shorter, and he desperately tried to suck oxygen into his lungs, but there seemed to be none left. His chest started hurting and the blood rushing to his head started pounding in his ears. Warm hands encircled his wrist and his waist, while another warm hand pushed his head into a warm chest where he could hear the breathing and the heartbeat of one of his godfathers. Vaguely he heard the deep concerned voice of his godfather telling him to listen to his heartbeat and the telling him to sync his breathing the slower one. Slowly, his breathing started to slow down and the pounding in his ears died. His strength slowly died off, and he fell asleep directly in the warm arms of the godfather.  _

_ When he woke up, he was back in his bed. That night the therapy session with Grandma Pen was intense, and she ruthlessly went straight to the point and she immediately got it out of him why he had panicked.  _

_ Flashback End _

Since that day, he was instantly put back into a 24-hour watch for the next month, his family was terrified that he would fall back on his habits. To be fair, the day after his panic attack, he had locked himself in a room, and transfigured a blade, to take it to his wrist. 

_ Flashback  _

_ Sidor laid as still as possible on his bed wide awake as he listened to the silence of the house. He knew that most of his family would be asleep by now. The burning itch that had started yesterday when he had freaked out at the theme park when faced with children his own age, had now racketed up to an unbearable level. He needed the pain, and he desperately needed the blood to scratch the itch.  _

_ He waited for another half an hour before reaching for his wand and casting generalized privacy and locking wards around the room and another layer around his bed. He layered another layer of silencing spells, to ensure that no one would be able to find him, he did not need anyone to find out what he was doing right now. He did NOT need to put on another 24-hour watch thank you very much. He flicked his wand one last time and transfigured the quill he had brought to bed into something resembling the first switchblade he had ever found, and brought it to his wrist.  _

_ The first bite of pain across his wrist hurt him a lot more than he remembered, the second that immediately followed sent a relief instantly flowing through his veins.  The third and the forth only strengthened the sense of floatiness he felt, the itch he had felt slowly started to fade as he added to the now bleeding wounds on his wrists. Suddenly, he felt large callused hands wrapped around his hands and brought them away from each other, his arms were rapidly brought to a cross in front of his body before he was gently lifted and deposited in his father’s lap. Unknown to him, his father had never removed the warning charm on both him and his bedroom, thus when he had first brought the blade to his wrist, his father had been instantly alerted and his father had rushed to his room, and had taken a few minutes to dismantle wards and immediately wrapped Sidor up in his arms.  _

_ “Shush… Shush… Little one, no more, I’m here now. It’s okay.. Shhhh. It’s okay.” Sidor had come out of his reverie when he had been picked up, and when he found himself in the arms of his father, he was unable to control his emotions and had broken down. Sobbing, he started apologising to his father, unable to look the man in his eye. His dad had gently stroked his hair muttering soothing nonsense into his ear. Once he had calmed down and became limp in the arms of the man that had sheltered him and loved him. He vaguely felt his father wrap up his wrist before curling up around him.  _

_ When he woke up, his father was already awake and had immediately put him back under a 24-hour watch.  _

_ Flashback End  _

That had been five years ago, and he was proud to say that had been the last time he had cut, and a few months after he had given up his blades to his father for good. After that his therapy sessions with Pen intensified, to reduce the chances of him self-harming again, and for him to learn to reduce his anxiety and deal with the possibility of him meeting his twin again. It was only after years of intensive therapy and a few incognito exposure therapy, Sidor had confidence that if he meets any other kids, or even his twin again, he will not panic again. A few years after when he had turned ten his father had finally removed all the wards and charms on him and his room, finally trusting him in his recovery. (this had turned out to be a  mistake, but we will get to that.)

Back to the train though, Sidor quickly located an empty cabin and slide in and settled down. Two minutes after he had sat down, a blonde boy knocked before entering the cabin, “Hello, I am Heir Malfoy, pleased to meet your acquaintance, may I please have a seat? The rest of the cabin seems a little full or with seniors.” The blonde boy,  _ sorry Draco Malfoy, _ extended his hand towards Sidor. Sidor reached out with his empathy skills and felt nothing but genuine friendliness and curiosity, he felt no animosity and no hidden motives. Brightening up, Sidor took the hand offered to him. “Heir Malfoy, I am Heir Prince, Sidor Prince, pleasure is mine, please do come in.” Draco smiled at him tentatively and came in. 

The two spent a pleasant 30 minutes talking and had found topics in common, both shared the gift of telepathy. 

“You are telepathic too?”

“Yes Draco, I am, you have no need to screech in my ear like a demented banshee. I studied under my dad for mind magics, have you tried? We can establish a telepathic bond, it will allow us to communicate no matter how far apart we are.”

“No, no one could teach me, would you? Please, Si?” 

“Si?” 

“Your name is too long, and you are small and cute.” 

“I am taller than you! But yes I will teach you.”

Thus, was the start of a beautiful friendship, while Sidor had trained under his father for the skill of telepathy, Draco had not, and thus Sidor used the next 30 minutes starting to teach Draco the rudimentary steps needed to be telepathic, and to use his gift. 

One hour into their ride, another knock sounded before two more people slide into the cabin. “Hi! I’m Hermione Granger, this is Neville  Longbottom, we are looking for his toad, Trevor, have you seen it?” Sidor out of the corner of his eye saw the split second offended expression that crossed his face, and how the blonde started to rise to his feet. Sidor quickly sent a telepathic message to the blond,  _ you remain sitting, she doesn’t know, don’t take offence. _ Draco had a split second of indecision before he sat down content to let Sidor take the lead. 

“Hello Hermione, I am Sidor, and he is Draco, have you tried a summoning spell?”

“No, that is a fourth-year spell, we are only first years. We can’t perform the spell, neither can you.”

Sidor smiled to himself, before sliding his wand out of the wand holster that his grandfather had gifted him and silently did the spell to summon the ever elusive toad. Hermione gaped at him, while the other blonde boy beamed at him. “How... What? You have to teach me that!”

Sidor waved for them to sit down, his empathy had told him that the two newcomers had no ill will and that two of them were a good addition to his now growing group of friends. 

* * *

 

Leo Potter was having the time of his life, he was  _ the boy-who-lived _ , and with that came a certain amount of worship and prestige (which in Leo’s mind was everything he deserved and more). Thus the moment he stepped foot on the Hogwarts express, he immediately started making use of that hero worship. Going from cabin to cabin, demanding and sometimes outright taking what tickled his fancy from the students within. All this was done with his loyal friend Ronald Weasley by his side. As he approached his 16th cabin for the day, he quickly stuffed his wand and the chocolate frog that he had taken from a little female firstie into his pockets before musing up his hair, and swung the door wide open, without even pausing to knock. (He was the boy-who-lived and all the lowlives on this train should bow down to him, not the other way round.) Inside the cabin to his surprise, sat blonde ponce Draco Malfoy, the almost squib Neville Longbottom and two others he did not recognise, one somewhat athletic tall-ish black-haired green-eyed boy, and another bushy hair, short girl, given that he did not recognise them, he easily dismissed them and instead looked around the cabin. His eyes instantly zeroed in on the snacks that the other four firsties had bought, it seemed like it was a little of everything from the trolley. “I am the boy-who-lived, give me  your snacks, I deserve them.” The blond ponce immediately got up and pointed his wand at him, 

“Get out Potter, you are not welcomed here, and we do not owe you anything. Who is your companion? Red hair, and hand-me-down clothes? Wait don’t tell me it’s a Weasley. Why do you want our snacks huh? Did Daddy not allow you any? Good for him, you look a little round, Potter.”

The black-haired boy, instantly put a hand on the ponce’s arm and there seemed to be a  moment of silent conversation before to his disgust in the next second he had found himself and Ron outside the cell facing a locked door that no matter how many spells or punches he threw at it, would not budge. 

_ That blonde ponce! That damned slimy Slytherin will regret this! He will regret the day that he rejected and humiliated the great Leo Potter! _

 


	18. Quod Diribitio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quod Diribitio - (Latin) The Sorting

The train pulled up at the platform, and the bell tolled for all the students to exit the train. Sidor took a look around his cabin nervously at his new-found friends, smiled shakily, took a deep breath exited the cabin and descended the few steps that separated him from the platform.

"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" a gruff voice sounded in the distance, calling them all to him. Sidor followed the sound of the voice, his friends behind him by his side, (he had felt the spike of nervousness from his friends around especially from Neville and Hermione, and had reached out with his powers of empathy to send them soothing feelings to calm them, and was delighted that he could sense that all of his friends starting to calm down.) to his surprise the owner of that voice was a large man, _half-giant_ , his mind supplied. He reached out with his empathic abilities to figure out the man a little better, and Sidor was very concerned that instead of a feeling a sense of responsibility and care that someone who was herding first years should have, he felt that the half-giant was somehow a little confused and his emotions were muted. ( _AN: Anyone can guess why? I will give you one guess_ ) Sidor filled that information away for further thought and instead put all his attention to what was going on at that exact moment. Here we go, Sidor thought and followed the half-giant’s voice.

“Four to’a boat! Firs' years this way! Four to’a boat!”

Sidor found himself in a boat along with Draco, (for Hermione and Neville had been separated from them, and now instead were sitting with a pair of twins, who he later learned was called Padma and Parvati Patil) his brother and Ron, much to everyone’s displeasure, (judging from the dirty looks that his brother and his friend kept throwing at him and Draco) following the rest of the students through the lake and towards the majestic castle in the distance; the green-eyed wizard found his mind divided between excitement and terror.

He repeated to himself that he had nothing to fear, quite unsuccessfully. But he'd be loath to allow his fear to stop him so he simply looked at the castle and tried to breathe.

Midway through, he was instantly distracted when Leo tried to push Draco into the water. Sidor dug into his core and called up his wind elemental powers and secured Draco into the boat, not wanting his friend to fall into the water. Before he could make a second attempt on Draco, he used the second stream of wind just to nudge at Leo when he had overbalanced flipping both Leo and Ron who was helping Leo into the water. Draco looked at him incredulously, and even though he gave his friend a shrug, he could tell that his friend did not believe that he had nothing to do with the miraculous flipping of the two dunderheads into the water.

Hagrid immediately rowed over and fished the two boys out settling them down in the small cart attached to the boat he was in “Oopsie, the squid migh’ ha’e be’n a mite too friendly, eh? It aite boys, you can sta’ here.” The rest of the boat ride was spent with Leo glaring daggers at Draco.  

The first years were greeted by a formidable looking female professor, her hair pulled back stiffly into a bun, dressed in green tartan, a pair of round owl glasses perched on her face. She led them all to a small room down the hall, her smart eyes looking over the frightened eleven-year-olds. It was hard to be awed by the castle, Sidor thought as he looked upwards towards the arched ceiling; no place like Hogwarts! “Good evening First Years, I am Professor McGonagall. The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.” (AN: Speech is lifted from Pottermore, so it is cannon ish, credits to JK)

Sidor had to fight to not fidget or try and straighten down his hair, (he could almost hear his dad grumbling about his hair every morning when he woke up and it defied gravity) not that his unruly hair could be helped otherwise. But when Professor McGonagall gave you that look, you couldn't help but wondering if there was something you could do to straighten your clothing, or saluting her.

Professor McGonagall returned and asked them to form a line before leading them through a grand door to the Great Hall; there, seated at the four Houses' tables, were the students of the school, illuminated by the light of thousand floating candles. The sky on the enchanted ceiling was the perfect image of the night sky above and, even if Sidor knew it was an enchantment (Thanks Grandpa!), he found himself trying to locate the various constellations, the familiar action soothing his nerves a little. He quickly scanned the row of teachers, reaching out with his empathy powers hoping to get a feel of the teachers. Sidor suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes landing on a familiar face dressed in all black. _His dad is here, his dad is a professor!_ Suddenly a profound feeling of relief flooded through him. As long as his dad was here, nothing would hurt him, at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a little miffed at how protective his dad he was, _he was eleven, not six thank you very much._ Still, no matter how much he groused, he still loved how much his dad cared for him.

Draco elbowed him harshly, breaking him out of reverie, and nudged him to continue moving. He moved along with the rest of the students to be, his heart much lighter. Professor McGonagall placed an old torn hat on a stool; the Sorting Hat, Sidor thought, recognizing it from both his dad’s and his godfather’s descriptions. Despite his anxiousness for the Hogwarts, Sidor had quite anticipated this moment. And not one to disappoint, a mouth-like slit appeared on the front of the hat, just above the rim, and the hat started singing;

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see._

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me!_

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts' Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all!_

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be_

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry,_

_Set Gryffindor's apart._

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,_

_And unafraid of toil._

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you're a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm the Thinking Cap!_

_( AN: lifted from Pottermore)_

As Sidor stared at the hat, he couldn’t help but try to work out the rune patterns and spell matrixes that allowed the hat to activate. (AN: _sometimes that is literally me, I have the attention span of a gnat, so I’m going to give Sidor the same affliction.)_ Everybody applauded the hat, Sidor noticed professor McGonagall stepping forward once again, this time carrying with her a scroll that was apparently the list of all the first years, as she began calling them alphabetically. In the meantime, the young wizard was pondering on the words of the Sorting Hat; if it could see anything in one’s mind, wasn't it dangerous that it would tell someone? His father had always warned him about people employing legilimency against him, (for he knew he had a lot of secrets to hide,) and now with an artefact able to the same thing he was slightly worried. Thankfully, his dad had preempted his worry and had thoroughly discussed the matter with Sidor, he had pointed out that the spell which allowed the hat to work had it bound with the school and forced it to keep its secrets. What it saw inside the students' heads was part of the school's secrets so, the very same spell that kept it from being a simple hat bounded it to keep whatever it saw to itself. But his had warned him about the existence of the headmaster’s legilimency prowess, and since the Hat wasn't the one he had fear of looking into his mind and telling, he still did a quick check over his Occlumency shields. Years of practising mind magic with his father had paid off, while nowhere as strong as the potion’s master turned child healer, it was sufficient enough to keep almost everyone else out, including Dumbledore and Voldemort. With Occlumency he had gained the ability to section and store his memories and also allow him to notice or trap an enemy legilimence in his mind.

"Granger Hermione!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed and the bushy hair witch, that Sidor could see becoming lifelong friends with moved excitedly towards the hat (Sidor’s empathic powers told him that the witch in question was very excited but very nervous as well.) and all but jammed it onto her head. After five minutes of the hat mumbling on her head, it sorted her into Gryffindor. Sidor noticed Leo and Ron share a look and then cringe when she was sorted to Gryffindor; his powers detected their disgust. It was precisely because of their disgust that he instantly decided that no matter the outcome, he would be there to protect the girl. Neville was sorted in Hufflepuff, Draco at Slytherin.

"Potter, Leo!" The professor called and whispers spread in the Great Hall. Sidor couldn’t help but roll his eyes; frankly, Leo already had a big enough head, _see example: what happened on the train._ He doesn’t need any more extra attention, in fact, Sidor secretly thought that the extra attention is just going to make his head big enough that it can’t fit through the door, and it is only going to make their year in school a lot more hellish and uncomfortable. In the meantime, Leo had crammed on the Hat with a standoffish and arrogant look, gracing his face. Five minutes passed, ten more minutes passed, and there still had not been a decision. Out of the corner of his eye, Sidor saw a jet of light (that he knew only he could discern due to his intensive training in feeling magic which was important for his study in alchemy and elemental magics) shot from the end of Dumbledore’s wand to the sorting hat. Two seconds later, the hat called out and sorted his estranged brother into Gryffindor.

A few more students later, “Prince, Sidor!” Professor McGonagall called, a quick glance at her, Sidor immediately saw that she was staring in shock at his father. Sidor walked with his head held high, stealing one last glance at his dad who nodded once in support.  He strengthened his shields once more especially around his lost identity and gently pulled the Hat over his eyes and the Great Hall was lost from his sight.

"So a Prince! My my, a grandson of Flamel as well! It has been a while since I have had one with your lineage under my brim!" A voice whispered in his ear. "And you know some Occlumency! Quite impressive for someone your age! And now let's see what… Great Merlin!" The Hat exclaimed, quite at a loss. Sidor felt the Hat prob around the upper echelons of his mind, where his talents and his skills live, never once going close to his core where is greatest secret lived.  "You, young Prince, carry the mark of Magic blessed! Just like your father before you. You carry so many hidden talents, and what you hide is amazing!"

"You won't tell, will you?" Sidor thought softly, cringing inwardly.

"Even if I wasn't forced to keep what I see for myself, I would not; I see how you love your family and look to protect the young one, and I admire you for that." The Hat then paused. "But where to put you? You're more than smart and knowledgeable so Ravenclaw would fit you; you're sly enough to hide your secrets so Slytherin would do too. And loyalty is right there along with bravery and chivalry, yes. But what would be best?"

"Do I not have a defining characteristic Mr Hat? Your spell and rune matrix as far as I can tell search for defining values and characteristics that will most likely follow through our lives? Isn’t that what magic imbued into you allows you to do?”

"Everything in your mind sticks out, my dear!" The hat exclaimed. "What can I say? Is that Alchemy? Oh, my boy, you know Alchemy! No matter what house you get sorted to, I hope that you don’t lose that spark and that thirst for knowledge!" The green-eyed wizard mentally nodded, a soft smirk forming on his lips; this wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be. And as the hat kept deliberating and mumbling to itself about his characteristics (daring mixed with the fluidity of thoughts and a certain disregard for the rules being the latest argument)

Sidor's heart was sinking, he just knew it. No matter what House he was fit for, he was going to be a Hatstall, he could just see it coming. “Young one, I think regarding the way the political climate is now, it would serve you to be RAVENCLAW! However, always remember you embody all the best characteristic of every house. Good luck, and Magic bless.”

Instantly, the hat was lifted up off his head, and he was greeted with the beaming smiles of his new friends and house. He glanced at his father and he could only see the proud grin of his father. Warmth and pride flooded him, and he walked to his new house table and, at last, his time at Hogwarts could begin. He hadn't realized just how nervous he was until he wasn’t, after the sorting was over and Dumbledore made his version of a welcoming speech, he surprised himself with piling food on his plate and proceeding to eat every last bite, chasing it down with a slice of treacle tart and -of course- some chocolate soufflé. (Of course, it was with some help from his appetite stimulant.)

When he lifted up his cup, a note under it was waiting for him, in a very familiar cursive handwriting that he knew belonged to his dad stated.

_Congratulations Little Prince, you will always make me proud_

_Meet me in our quarters tonight, use the map, I will be waiting for you. Love you little one._

Sidor glanced up his dad, and through their empathic link, he could feel the love and pride that his dad was sending him. Giving him a discreet nod, he smiled and looked back to his meal. At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent. "Ahern -- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the red-headed twins, that Sidor knew was the older twin brothers of Ron. "I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." (Lifted and edited from JK Rowling)  

The jovial atmosphere of the feast was somewhat dimmed at the grave warning from Dumbledore that the students weren't to approach the third-floor corridor on the right-hand if they didn't want to die a painful death. (AN: honestly, I swear that this is like waving a red flag in front of Gryffindors man, or rather any super curious kids.) Whispers travelled around the Great Hall once again and Sidor’s mind swiftly started making up scenarios of any shape and form. _What on earth is going on in this school?_

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, lemme explain why Hermione is still in Gryffindor. To me, I feel that her, as a Muggle-born student to enter a new world, and be able to stand on her own feet and dare to stand out. To me, its the definition of bravery and courage, yes she is super intelligent, but at heart, she is full of courage, and a lion. After all, as Harry proved, you can belong to more than one house, no?
> 
> Also, it gives me the best arrangement ever, each one of the four in different houses. The perfect Hogwarts quartet, yes? hehe.
> 
> ONE MORE THING, shoutout to those who guessed right that Sev is gonna be in Hogwarts to protect Harry, haha. Should have known y'all would have figured it out.
> 
> okay, I lied, the last thing. Thank you so much for the 10k hits and 500 plus kudos. I really really blessed that y'all support this fic so much. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you


	19. Et Pater in Turrim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Et Pater in Turrim - (Latin) The tower and Dad

The Ravenclaw first years, Sidor included, followed Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw prefect ( _ AN: Somehow this was pretty hard to figure it out….)  _  through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Sidor followed along the group through the corridors looking around as the portraits on the wall whispered and pointed as they passed, (Suddenly, Sidor was really homesick for the manor that he had grown up in. The walls were decorated with sconces and pictures of him and his family, instead of nosy portraits, it was memories that guarded each of the steps in the hallways.)  Penelope led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, the groups chatter waned and waxed, and Sidor was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt, at the end of corridor on the fifth floor, was a door without a doorknob or keyhole, but a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. 

Penelope spun around and faced them, “Okay, firsties welcome to Ravenclaw, to enter our common room, you must answer a riddle asked by the eagle knocker, if you answer incorrectly, you must wait for someone else who gets it right. After giving an answer, you have to give a password. Before you can enter our common room. (AN: hey this is something that has always bothered me, anyone can get into their common room with a riddle, it’s ridiculous. So I fixed it, yay?) It is a little eccentric, and a little strange, but hey? We are Ravenclaws, aren’t we? Speaking of eccentrics, you'll like our Head of House, Professor Filius Flitwick. Which you will meet when we enter the common room, for his welcoming speech. People often underestimate him, because he's really tiny we think he's part Goblin, but we've never been rude enough to ask and he's got a squeaky voice, but he's the best and most knowledgeable Charms master alive in the world today. His office door is always open to any Ravenclaw with a problem, and if you're in a real state he'll get out these delicious little cupcakes he keeps in a tin in his desk drawer and make them do a little dance for you. In fact, it's worth pretending you're in a real state just to see them jive. (AN: description of  Flitwick is also from Pottermore) All right, let’s give it a try.” Penelope used the eagle knocker and smartly rapped on the door. The eagle  kno cker came alive and faced them “The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?”

“Okay, firsties, who wants to give it go?”

Sidor looked up and raised his hand. “Its footsteps, isn’t it?”

“Password?”

Penelope smiled and stated “Sapiens Aquilae” and the door swung open to reveal the Ravenclaw common room, the perfect stepped in calmly while the rest of the firsties all scrambled and stumbled in. It was a wide, circular, cosy room with arched windows hung with blue and bronze silks and a midnight blue carpet covered in stars, which is reflected onto the domed ceiling. The room was furnished with tables, chairs, and bookcases; and by the door leading up to the dormitories stands a tall statue of Rowena Ravenclaw made of white marble. 

In the middle of the common room, stood Professor Flitwick as Penelope had told them that before them. “Sit down, sit down! It is always so exciting to see my new Ravens every year. I am your head of House, Professor Filius Flitwick. For you my little Ravens, my door will always be open, I understand that it is very intimidating to be away from home for the first time, and I will always be will there to listen and to talk to. As Ravens, our motto is that wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure. We believe that knowledge is power, however, it does not mean that we horde it and not share it. We are Ravens and we are a family, knowledge shared is knowledge doubled. Help each other, be it from homework to emotional problems. We may not be the most prestigious house, nor the most sought after, but be proud of you are. In here, we are no longer separated by blood or race, or even magical power. We are a family, do you understand that? We help each other, and no matter what, we stand together. That being said, there are a few ground rules I have for all my Ravens. My first years to thirds years are to be in bed by 10pm and each year after that can go to be half and later every year you age. You will only be allowed to take part in any of our clubs when all your grades are Es or better,  no acceptions. We are Ravenclaws, our intelligence is what sets us apart. For curfew, I expect every single one of you to be in the common room at least 15 mins before curfew. If you miss our internal curfew for any reason, you will come to have tea with me. It doesn’t mean you would be in trouble, it just means you better have a good explanation, same goes to every time you get a detention with any teacher here. Welcome to Hogwarts, my Ravens, I hope we will develop a good relationship in these 7 years, and I hope you will enjoy time here ” 

Sidor looked around and noticed that every single one of the Ravens new and old were paying attention to the tiny Professor. He reached out with his empathy to just feel out how his Professor was. He was not surprised to feel that the Professor was excited, yet honest and trustworthy. He also felt very dedicated, not entirely human. Sidor drew back his powers carefully, and knew that he would be able to trust the tiny professor. 

Penelope guided everyone up the stairs, after a set of circular staircases, there was a corridor, with a door on either end, Penelope guided the girls to the right towards the female dormitory and the boys to the left. Sidor followed Terry Boot, Michael Corner and Anthony Goldstein, together they passed through the door and followed up another spiral staircase passing by six doorways, marked by numbers for the other years, before coming to the a door marked with the number 1. Their trunks had already been brought up, while the other boys reached for their pajamas and fell into bed and instantly fell asleep, 

Sidor reached instead for his map, and pulled out his wand. He mummered the password for the map and tapped himself to Disillusioned himself before making his way to his father’s quarters. 

He knocked on the door of his father’s quarters (which to his disgust was in the dungeons,) and let himself in. “Hey, Dad! Something you wanted to tell me? For example how you ended up as my Professor?”

“Little Prince, come here and give me a hug first? Your old man missed you.”

Sidor laughed and ran over to his dad, who by this time already knew what his son was about to do, and opened his arms and caught the boy shaped bullet as Sidor jumped straight into his embrace. 

“Little one, you know as well I do, that it is not that I do not trust you. You know where you are now, as much as I love you, the blood that runs in your veins still has a part of your biological sperm and egg donors. That alone puts you in an indescribable amount of danger, and I’m worried, Sidor. I don’t care if you hate me for being so overprotective, I don’t care if you don’t speak to me the whole school term. I do not regret my choice to come here to watch over you. You are the whole world to me, I will do anything to make sure you are safe and happy, little prince.”

Sidor looked his father straight in the eye, this man, had brought him home and nurtured him and raised him up. This man had basically almost sacrificed his entire career for the past few years to make sure he always had his father around, the man had went from taking almost 15 commission potions and countless healer cases each month, to taking only about 15 healer cases and almost zero (he still does take 1 or 2 only if they really intrigue him) potion commissions, just to take care of him. This man, had willingly walked into the lion’s den (or rather Dumbledore’s stronghold, the old coot had wanted to dig his claws into his father the  moment his dad had walked into Hogwarts years ago) just to be a human shield between him and the old coger. Yes, the man’s overprotective tendencies, and mother henning habits basically almost drove him around the bend. Yes, the man had been on his butt to chase him to achieve the best, never letting up, pushing his nose to the grind almost driving bonkers. Yes, the man was unbearably strict when it came to his health and safety. But in the end, he loved the man to death, and knew that no matter come hell or high water, his father always will have his back. 

“I love you, Dad. You drive me nuts, but thank you. Thank you for being willing to do so much for me. I am going to get you back to shocking the magic out of me for just turning up as my professor, you better sleep with one eye open. But through it all, thank you. I am magic blessed to have you as my dad.”

Sidor buried his head into his father’s shoulder, he had never felt more safe in his entire life. 

* * *

 

Severus clutched his son closer to him as he leaned back into his chair. Thanking mother magic above that he had been blessed with such an amazing son, he knew that his gamble gave him a 50-50 chance of having his son mad at him, but the face his son gave when he walked in was worth all the possible pranks that he would be the butt of. 

_ Flashback  _

_ Severus hid his smirk as he watched the whole batch of fresh meat start walking into the Great Hall. He could sense vaguely through their empathetic link that his son was very nervous but at the same time very excited. He watched as his son walked into the room, noticing immediately that somehow his son had immediately  gathered a group of friends who looked like they would defend him to the ends of the earth. Which to his ultimate surprised consisted of Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom, one of the darkest families, with one of the lightest how intriguing. Not to forget the bushy hair-ed girl that followed them, who Severus was almost 100% certain was a muggle-born.  _

_ He watched proudly as his son scanned the teachers to pick out the possible threat. He almost chuckled out loud, as he watched his son stop short and gaped at him. He smirked as he watched his son completely just stare at him unable to process what he was seeing. He was going to remember the look on his son’s face as long as he lived.  _

_ Flashback End  _

He carded his hand through his son’s hair, “Sidor, you have a room in these quarters, so if there is any time you wished to be somewhere a little more quiet or just somewhere a little more private, you will always have a room here, with me.” He watched as his son snuggled closer, and fell asleep on his lap. 

* * *

 

Sidor scrambled out his bed in confusion, he had fallen asleep in his dad’s lap and somehow had ended up in an unfamiliar bedroom. He walked out of the room, and instantly saw his father sitting on a leather wingback armchair, reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. “Hey little one, its 7am, breakfast starts at right about now in the Great Hall, classes start at 8am. Professor Flitwick will be handing out you time there as well. And before you ask, yes I did help you inform Professor Flitwick that you would be staying here for the night, so no, you are not in trouble.” His dad told him the moment he  stepped into the room. Sidor bounded over and gave his dad a bear hug, before leaving for breakfast. 

  
  



	20. Dignum et Scribae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dignum et Scribae - (Latin) Meet the teachers

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Sidor was sure the coats of armour could walk, for the rune and spell matrix that he could see embedded into the metal told him that they could move, but they were also somehow spelled to be able to protect the castle and its students. He had never been more thankful towards his godparents as the map allowed him and Hermione, (she had whacked him when he had awkwardly looked at her and stared helplessly when they had compared timetables,  in her words exactly, “we are friends, of course, we will walk together with you doofus. They shared their first class, for Gryffindor and Ravenclaws had transfiguration together first thing directly after breakfast on Mondays. )

Arriving early for Professor McGonagall's lesson, Sidor and Hermione sat together in the centre of the classroom, with Sidor closer to the Ravenclaw side and the Hermione closer to the Gryffindor side of the classroom. Hermione and Sidor looked around the classroom and to their surprise, their teacher was not in the classroom yet. Instead, a Tabby Cat with very unique markings sat on the table staring at them. Sidor could see due to the magical aura surrounding the Tabby that it was not an ordinary cat. He turned around and nudged Hermione and pointed back to the Tabby.

“She... It’s not normal….. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Not normal in which way?”

Before Sidor could reply to her, the late bell rang, and Leo and Ron stumbled in a few minutes late. Leo looked around and seeing that their Professor was not there yet, mussed up his hair and dragged Ron to where Sidor was sitting. “Hey, Stinkhole! How did you get the pretty girl to sit next to you? Did you bend over?”

Before Sidor could react however, the Tabby Cat stalked all the way to the middle of the conversation, and right in front of them transformed into Professor McGonagall. “10 points from Gryffindor Mr Potter for your inexcusable language, another 5 points each Mr Potter, Mr Weasley for being late for my lesson. Now settle down, I don’t want to hear another sound out of you.”

Sidor impression of Professor McGonagall was spot on, she was strict and clever.  This was one teacher Sidor definitely did not want to cross, she gave them talk the moment Leo and Ron had settled down.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again.*  Sidor was intrigued as far as he knew, there were many different spells to turn furniture into barn animals, he wondered which she used. Before he could wonder any further, she had continued and was soon instructing the class on how to turn a match into a needle. While Sidor was slightly disappointed, he knew that transfiguration was a difficult subject and his classmates had not received any prior instructions, and he had to be patient. He soon realized however, they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. Sidor had purposefully cast a few wonky spells knowing that it would not transfigure the match, before actually casting the spell. He smiled inwardly when he saw the match transfigure perfectly into a needle before turning to Hermione and started quietly coaching her on how to transfigure the match. By the end of the lesson, Hermione had made some difference to her match, turning the match silver and slightly pointy. Professor McGonagall turned to them both, showing off their needles to the class and gave them a rare small, before awarding them 10 points each and sending them on their way.

Leo and Ron were heard grumbling all the way about cheating eagles and show-off muggle-borns. However, Sidor and Hermione paid them no mind and headed to their next lesson

Professor Flitwick, Sidor’s head of house was another story. He stood on a pile of books to see over his desk. He levitated a feather to each and every one of the students he roll-called to the delight of both Sidor and Draco.

Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up. ** Sidor groaned when he had seen Professor Binns, his father had already warned him about Binns, and he hoped beyond hope that Dumbledore would have changed the history professor by now.  However, the hopes were for naught when he saw the floating spectre in the classroom. He opened his runes textbook glammered to look like the first year history textbook and started reading.

Much to Sidor ’s delight, they had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Watching the stars every Wednesday had been a habit he had cultivated with his pseudo grandfather for all the years he had stayed at Flamel castle. The act of looking at the stars with his class had filled him with nostalgia. So while the rest of the class had complained and moaned about the late night star gazing, he had attended eagerly. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, who Neville eagerly pointed out was his head of house, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for. ***

The class that Sidor had been the most curious about was definitely Defense Against The Dark Arts. He knew from his private studies that Professor Quirrell used to be a muggle studies professor before taking a year sabbatical returning to be the DADA professor. He was intrigued about how much the Professor would have learnt from his one-year sabbatical, and how much he would be able to teach them. To his disappointment, however, his lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which there were rumours to say to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. (Sidor frowned when he had heard of this, vampires as far as he knew did not chase wizards or witches unless there was a blood feud. So he had no idea why a vampire would chase his DADA Professor all the way to Scotland.) His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but no one was sure that they believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan (Ravenclaws and Gryffindors shared the same DADA lessons) asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, which to Sidor smelt nothing like garlic regardless of what the Weasley twins insisted. ****

Thursday night, Sidor sneaked into his father’s quarters using his cloak and map. He missed his father terribly and regardless of what kind of trouble he might get into with Professor Flitwick he wanted no needed to see his dad. (Sidor had left a note on his pillow, just in case Professor Flitwick was checking.) Walking into his father’s bedroom, he saw the man fast asleep on his bed. He twitched his wand, and cast a spell that his father would definitely notice in the morning _after all_ his dad needed a little payback for shocking Merlin’s baggy Y-fronts off of him when he saw him in the Great Hall for the first time! He smiled softly, climbed into the bed and snuggled into his father. _There_ now he could fall asleep.

Severus slowly woke up as he felt the vibration of his wand alarm.  (He had learned over the years to make sure his wand alarm was silent regardless whether or not he had gone to sleep with his little imp or not, for when the imp did creep into bed with him, sometimes the loud wand alarm sent the imp straight into a flashback or into a panic.) To his surprise, he was not alone in his bed, at his side curled up the very Prince that he had been thinking of. He smiled gently before bending forward to wake the boy, to his surprise when he leaned forward a flash of pink came to his field of view. He stilled in shock, however before he could think further, the little prince woke up and green eyes turned unerringly to him.

“Up you get Little One, it’s time to wake up!”

Sidor opened his eyes and instantly had to stifle a laugh when he caught sight of his father. He scrambled off the bed and went to wash up before his father was too awake and aware. Sure enough within 5 minutes of him being in the toilet. “Sidor Nicolas Harrison Prince! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY HAIR!”

Sidor snickered he had turned his father’s hair pink, but it was pretty mild as far as his revenge pranks went, but after all his father had gone to the extra mile to protect him, and honestly he had no heart to truly prank his dad.

* * *

 

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. Professor Prince, (Professor Prince! Not Dad, Sidor scolded himself quietly forgetting right about now was a real bad idea.) started the class by taking the roll call, and unlike many professors before him, he did not pause at Leo’s name.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word -- like Professor McGonagall, his father had the gift of being able to keep the class quiet without  much effort, he was barely speaking above a normal speaking level but the entire class caught every word -- "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death. But be warned, Potion making is a dangerous art if you mess  around you will not be returning, this will be your last only warning."

"Mr Potter!" said Professor Prince suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"I don't know, Sir, isn’t your job to tell us?" Leo smirked.

Sidor frowned internally, but he knew his father had it and could show his braggart of a twin his place. He watched his father’s lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut -- fame clearly isn't everything."

"Let's try again. Mr Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

"I don't know. And if I don’t know I shouldn’t need it right?"

"15 points for disrespect Mr Potter, What happened to your advanced training Mr Potter, I was told you were specially trained. Let’s try  a simpler one, tell me, what is the difference, Mr Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"I don't know," said Leo not-so-quietly. "I think, however, your pet of a son does, though, why don't you bark at him  instead?"

A few people laughed; Sidor caught Hermione’s eye, and Hermione had a displeased frown on her face. Professor Prince,  his dad, was equally displeased.

"For your information, Mr Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poison, which you most likely will need in your misplaced career as our Chosen One. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite.” *****

From then on, the lesson continued smoothly.  While his dad definitely was one of the sterner teachers found at Hogwarts, he was fair. He did not dock points unfairly, nor did he reward biasly as well. When both Sidor and Hermione turned up with a perfect potion to cure boils, he awarded both with 15 points before dismissing the entire class.

While Sidor walked to dinner a few hours later after spending the whole afternoon at the lake with his friends, he spotted Leo and Ron walking back from a hut talking fervently to each other. Every single one of his suspicion sensors was going off. _What on earth where those two idiots plotting?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *AN: taken from Sorcerer's Stone/ Philosopher's stone and edited to fit my story better.  
> **AN: taken from Sorcerer's Stone/ Philosopher's stone and edited to fit my story better.  
> ***AN: taken from Sorcerer's Stone/ Philosopher's stone and edited to fit my story better.  
> ****AN: taken from Sorcerer's Stone/ Philosopher's stone and edited to fit my story better.  
> *****AN: taken from Sorcerer's Stone/ Philosopher's stone and edited to fit my story better.


	21. Lectiones Volantes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lectiones Volantes - (latin) Flying Lessons

Sidor gaped in surprise as he stared at the notice board that was up in the Ravenclaw common room. Stated on the notice, was that flying lessons were about to start on Thursday, and a few from each house would be together. Sidor crossed his fingers and hoped all of his friends would be in the same lessons with him. He had been looking forward to learning more than anything else and to know that he would finally be able to ride a broom again was very very exciting. 

He read down the notice and realised that not only were all his friends in the lessons with him, so will his twin. That was one part he was definitely not looking forward to.  

Leo talked about flying a lot, Sidor knew his twin was good. He remembered how much his twin flew even when he was as young as four. He could not remember the number of times that he had been made to polish his twin’s newest broomstick, or trim its twig, starting at the tender age of four. 

_ Flashback  _

_ “Squib! Clean our darling baby’s broom, make sure you don’t break it and don’t you dare ride it! We don’t need your freakishness to pollute the broom!” _

_ Harry looked up and nodded his head silently, he had learned long ago that even though they had elves, certain things his father and his mother would make him do, “keep him busy to minimise any trouble he might get into”. He had turned five not long ago, and this is something he had always been doing since his twin had gotten his broom.  _

_ He sighed and started scrubbing and polishing his brother's broom, He wished that he would have gotten the opportunity to fly. But where he was now, he knew it was futile. He slowly started trimming the broken twigs on the newest child safe broom his twin owned. Of all his chores, this was one his favourite, it was quiet and soothing, and the monotonous and repetitive activity calmed him and doing chores was the only time his family left him alone.” _

_ “Squib! How dare you break the twigs of Leo’s broom so callously! Freak! You can’t even do this properly, how useless can you be!” _

_ The grating angry voice of his female life-giver reach his ears, and he was suddenly forced to his knees and his cracks of a leather belt could be heard and lines of pain flared across his back. _

_ Flashback End _

Sidor slowly took deep breaths as he came out his flashback, he did the grounding techniques that he had been thought by Grandma Pen throughout the years. He took ten deep breaths, counting as he went, then he conjured ice cubes as walked towards a more quiet corner of the common room. He allowed the ice cubes to melt in his hand, ignoring the cold liquid as it dripped onto the carpet below. *He used the cold to ground him into the here and now, and slowly felt more real and more connected into reality. He was grateful that he knew what to do when flashbacks happened nowadays, years ago, he would have pulled out his blade and used pain instead. 

Going back to his friends however, Draco also talked about flying a lot. The blonde had explained how flying was a passion both he and his father shared, and how they had spent hours flying the courtyard. Lucius Malfoy had been the person to teach Draco how to fly his first broom and taught him how to play quidditch, and played with him when he was younger and now. 

Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life because his grandmother had never let him near one. Lady Augusta Longbottom thought her grandson was not very magically gifted and had always feared that halfway through the flight, Neville’s magic would fail and he would plunge to his death. She loved her grandson fiercely, while she was stern and strict, Sidor knew that the relationship between the two was strong and they were equally protective of each other. **Privately, Sidor felt that while she had good intentions, he, Neville always felt like he was missing out, he thought the witch should have tried to let Neville on a broom in his childhood. At least, this way, he would not be as nervous as he was now or their flying lesson. 

Hermione Granger was almost as nervous for flying as Neville was. She was muggle-born and she had never even heard about flying on broomsticks before this year, let alone tried it. Worst still, flying was not something she could learn from a book and anyone who knew her knew she was pretty much terrified out of her mind. 

Sidor was shaken out his thoughts when the breakfast post arrived. A note from his father was delivered to him by Hedwig, chastising him to eat, (he has been completely lost in his thoughts had not even taken a bite of breakfast) and reminding him to be careful during his flying lesson later on.  He smiled at his father was looking pointedly at him from the staff table and exaggeratedly chugged his potion before taking a bite of his breakfast. (Of oatmeal porridge mixed with berries and french toast on the side, it was one of his favourite breakfasts and it fed his insatiable sweet tooth.) He focused back onto the conversation of his housemates, and to his friends from each of the different houses. 

Draco’s eagle owl brought him a new care package from him filled with sweets, (which Sidor knew for a fact was filled with home-made  sweets, painstaking made for him by his mother.) A barn owl brought Neville a small glass ball filled with smoke, that Sidor immediately recognised as a Remembrall. He saw it instantly fill with red smoke, and hope that his friend would be able to remember what he had forgotten.  

* * *

 

Severus Prince was glad that his break in his schedule fell exactly during his little one’s first flying lesson. He loved to watch Sidor fly, he had first started watching him fly when they had first gotten him his first broom, for fear that his little Prince would lose his balance and fall off his broom to his death. Then it had slowly evolved into the simple joy of watching the unparalleled grace that Sidor had on a broom when he was flying not only his little one looked incredibly happy and free, he had an inhuman grace that made his flight almost ethereal and any tricks he pulled off seem effortless. 

He observed from one of the windows that overlooked the courtyard and watched as Sidor and his little group of friends choose moderately maintained brooms. He knew that for all the extensive budget that Hogwarts had the school brooms that are terrible and just a hazard on their own. He watched the entire group called their brooms up, and noted that similar to his little one his accursed twin managed to call his broom to his hand immediately. 

He noted with consternation that Sidor’s Hufflepuff friend had the wrong grip and was instantly dragged up by the shoddy broom, instantly he had his wand out ready to levitate the boy down to the ground if he fell. Rolanda instantly took off after the boy, and slowly brought him back to the ground, unfortunately in the last about 10 feet to the floor, Longbottom lost his grip and plummeted to the floor. Before his charm could reach the boy, he heard a startled cry of pain and watched as Rolanda turned and addressed the rest of the class before bundling up the child and walking him up to what he presumes is the hospital wing. 

He continued to watch with a dropping heart as he watched Draco Malfoy and Leo Potter had a face-off over something the Longbottom heir had dropped on the floor, to his utmost worry the child that followed the red-haired spoiled boy-who-lived was his own black-haired Prince. Something glittering and ball-shaped was thrown and Severus vaguely remembered the Longbottom child had received a Remembrall in the morning. Sidor streaked after it,  Severus at that point could wrangle the tiny neck of his child!  _ Sidor Nicholas Harrison Prince! When he got his hands on that child! _ At the same time, he could only marvel at the finesse that Sidor had on a broom. 

He strode quickly towards the courtyard, only barely restraining himself from running. To his surprise, Filus reached before he did, and was already berating his child. 

“SIDOR PRINCE!”

"Never -- in all my time at Hogwarts --"

Filus was almost speechless with shock, his wand was sparking periodically, and his face was turning an alarming shade of  red "-- how dare you -- might have broken your neck --"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor --"

"Be quiet, Miss Granger

"But Potter --"

"That's enough, Mr Malfoy. Mr Prince, follow me, now. Do not make me ask you again."

Severus followed behind the diminutive professor and his offspring but not before warning the entire class to behave and not to fly on any of the brooms that were lying around.  

Severus stood in the shadowed corner of Flitwick’s office as he watched Filus use an elf to summon Mr Andre Edwu, the sixth year Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain. He watched as his recalcitrant offspring got thoroughly told off for his actions, not for standing up for his friend, but rather for risking his own neck and brashly taking it in his own hands and not only that going against the commands of Rolanda. 

He knew from that point on that Filus could be trusted with Sidor, and smirked when he heard that he was now in charge of the week-long detention that Sidor would now be serving. However, he shook his head wryly when he realized that his little one just got drafted to play seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. He watched as Mr Edwu got obscenely excited over his little one, and groaned silently as he realized that he somehow had to get the little one’s broom brought to school, over his dead body will Sidor be flying a school broom during an inter-house Quidditch match, his little one deserved the best. 

* * *

 

“Sidor Prince, come in and close the door.” 

He had led his child to his rooms, after Filus had finished chewing him out, and then invited him to the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Now it was his turn, he needed to impress on the little imp why what he did was dangerous and reckless and in turn at the same time he needed to remind the little one how much he mattered.  In fact, the little one mattered so much that when saw Sidor recklessly fly like that he had almost gotten a heart attack. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *AN: these are real grounding techniques, do try them if you need them.   
> **AN: I made Neville’s childhood a much less abusive one, with a stern and loving grandmother, not one that was semi-living in the past and really neglectful, and in some instances outright abusive.


	22. Lacesso et Multa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lacesso et Multa - (Latin) Punishments and The Challenge

Sidor crept slowly into the room instantly feeling the silencing and privacy wards, his adrenaline and worn off while he was being scolded by Professor Flitwick, and now that he was standing in front of his father, he could not stop thinking of all the stupid decisions that he had made to chase after his twin on a school broom. He had wanted to prove himself, and for the first time in his life, he had the chance to show to his brother that he could fly too (even though his brother was never to know why he was doing it) that he was not the useless twin. But now in front of his father, instantly all of his courage had fled, he knew what he had done was incredibly stupid and reckless. 

His father had only three rules for him after all these years, one was complete honesty, be it about anything in his life, his father wanted complete honesty from him, and in return, he always got complete honesty back from his father. For that reason, it had opened up an honest and open conversation between both of them and had led them to a much closer relationship. The second, was that if he had any urges to harm himself in anyway be it through a blade, through food deprivation, or in his father’s words “any other crazy little idea that your little brain may come up with” that he was to come straight to his dad or any other member of his family. The last and the most important and the only one that his dad will and have spanked him for was to never recklessly put his life in danger. (Too many others rule two and rule three may seem to be exactly the same, but he was grateful that his dad had known the difference and made it into two different rules. Rule two was part of his recovery and sometimes it was out of his control, rule three was basically when he lost his head and became an idiot.)

“My little Prince, do you know which rule you have broken today? And why I am so worried and angry at you?”

His dad to his utmost guilt did not sound angry, rather worried and disappointed. He hated that he had disappointed his dad, it was even worse that he had caused his father to worry. His dad to him was one of the most important people in his life, maybe even the most important, and to cause someone like that to worry about him was not a great feeling. 

“I’m sorry Dad, I broke rule three, I should not have flown after Leo Potter on a broom that is not mine, against the rules of Mdm Hooch. I also should not have attempted any dives or stunts on a broom that I am not used to or have never used before, for I do not know how it will react.”

Saying it all out loud, it hit home to Sidor how much danger he had truly been in when he had attempted that flight. He bowed his head and waited for his father’s judgement. 

* * *

 

Severus looked at the bowed dark head in front of him, he already could feel the guilt and regret that was radiated from the slim body of his child. Even without their empathy link, he knew his child was remorseful. However, he knew that he had to stick to his word, the only offense that he had ever spanked his child for was reckless endangerment of his life, and now he had to follow through, even though this was something he was not looking forward to doing, at the same time, a part of him knew that if he did not punish his son, the little boy will not be able to let the guilt go. 

Severus open his arms and tugged the dark-headed child into his arms. 

“My son, I will always love you no matter what ridiculous shenanigans you get up to. However, you need a little bottom warming for your little stunt today, but I promise you, you are still my son, and I will always love you.”

He felt the little head nod against his chest and stood his son onto his feet. He gently pulled the trousers off the little boy and instantly Sidor went limp and draped himself over his lap, with the thighs secured between his knees. He started in instantly on the pert globes on his lap, and when he could feel the tears starting, and the little body shaking, he lowered the silk pants as well, giving him 10 of the best ones. When he was done, he pulled his child back into his arms and just cuddled with him until Sidor fell asleep. Soothing the little boy, making sure Sidor still knew that he loved him and that he had forgiven him. His son was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and while he almost had multiple heart attacks watching the little imp grow through the years, but it was something that he would never trade for anything in the world. 

* * *

 

“You’re  _ joking. _ ”

It was their free period just before dinner, and all four of them were sitting out at the lakeside while Sidor told rest of them what had happened after he had been pulled off his broom by Professor Flitwick. He had awakened in his father arms on his bed in his room in their quarters, and after a heart to heart talk with his dad, he had hugged his dad and left their quarters, his heart lighter and their link overflowing with familial love for each other. 

“ _ Seeker? _ ” Draco Malfoy gaped at him, while two of his other friends just stared at him, their mouths fallen open unattractively.  “But  first years  _ never  _ — you must be the youngest House player in about —”

“— a century,” said Sidor, a blush forming across his checks. He knew it was an achievement but at the same time, he could not help but feel a little embarrassed about how much of a big deal his friends were making out of it. 

At that point, someone that was completely unwelcome turned up: Leo Potter and Ronald Weasley. 

“Is this your last moments here in Hogwarts, Prick? When are you taking the train back to your parents, oh but wait your father is here no? And your mom is dead isn’t it? Oops.”

Sidor refused to acknowledge Leo, there was no point he knew that every time someone responded Leo only escalated. To his chagrin, however, Hermione responded for him. 

“It is interesting that when you are on the ground supported by your red-headed minion, that your posture straightens and your tone gets more arrogant and more self-assured.”

Sidor almost could not hold back his laughter and glancing around at his friends and he could see all them trying not to laugh. Potter and Weasley both look constipated as they tried to figure out if Hermione had insulted them. When they had figured out that Hermione had basically called him a coward. 

“I’d take you on anytime on my own,” said Potter. “Tonight, 10 pm. Wizard’s duel. Wands only — no contact.”

Sidor looked up at Leo and pulled out his book and started reading, he will not rise to the bait. His friends looked at him and decided to follow his lead, Hermione pulled out her book, and Neville and Draco pulled a deck of cards and started to play exploding snap. 

“You coward, but of course I am the-boy-who-lived, I am not surprised that you dare not face my superior powers.”

“Oy! Malfoy Prat, are you a sodding coward as well.”

Sidor and his friends all look at each other and communicated silently with their eyes, and started to pack up and left the lake. Sidor heard a screamed cutting spell and another stunning spell from behind him. All his friends were walking in front of him, and he instantly threw up a silent and wandless  _ protego _ around them. However, Sidor had forgotten about himself, pain blossomed across his back and that was the last thing he knew before the world went black around him. 


	23. Quod Valetudinarium sed non Realiter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quod Valetudinarium sed non Realiter - (Latin) The hospital wing but not really

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooooo, it is not a new chap but rather I edited the chap, cuz I completely forgot about Sirius and Remus and wanted to add them in. They are Sidor's family as well and families stick together ya.

Sidor slowly came to feeling weirdly numb and floaty. He refused to open his eyes while he catalogued and sent his senses throughout his body, to his utter panic he could not move anything under his neck. His distress must have alerted his father through their empathic bond, for he could feel instantly feel the love and concern being pushed towards him by his father. At the same time, fingers started to card through his hair, soothing him instantly, telling him that his father was just nearby. His eyes popped open and he stared helplessly at his dad, trying to convey what he was panicking about when his voice absolutely failed him. Thankfully, his dad knew him well enough.

“Calm Little one, don’t panic, you are not paralysed you are simply immobilised below the neck. The curse that the menace duo hit you with cut a little too close to your spine, and I have immobilized you from the neck down to make sure that you will be able to walk out of our quarters when you are healed. Before you ask, I am the one that has been healing you, Poppy have not seen your body or more specifically your scars, neither have your friends. You are in our quarters' little prince. I promise you will be fine. The armband managed to deflect most of the damage. My little one, you have to remain this way for probably 2-3 days. I know it seems long but this is a sensitive area, and we just want to make sure that you will make a full recovery, and is back to pranking and annoying us soon enough.”

“Yes little fledging, you will be okay, I promise if Sev can’t be here for you while he is teaching we will. Let us help you little fledgeling, I know you hate feeling dependent and in your words  _ useless _ , but I promise you none of us feels that way. Let us in all the way Sidor, trust us, we will always catch you.” ( _ You never know when therapy is happening when you are with Grandma Pen) _

Sidor started and looked around the room, his Grandma Pen and Granddad Nick was here, so were both his godfathers granted they did look different, they all had glamoured and transfigured most of their features, but he could pick out their magic anywhere, it wrapped him up in warmth and love and reminded him of a burning fire on a cold winter’s day. He turned around and asked his father the question that had been burning him at since he had come to. 

“Dad, how did you find me? And how long have I been out? And what becomes of Potter and Weasley.”

“Little Prince, you basically gave all three of us a heart attack when our rings started to heat up and vibrate. I followed the tracker to look for you and found you bleeding at the lakeside while Potter and Weasley were gloating over you. Your little friends were desperately holding a shield around you while the little Hufflepuff was about to run off to notify Poppy. Before you say anything, I much rather have known you were injured than to have to be notified of your passing, and your grandparents agree with me. As for the Menace Duo they are currently under probation and will have to spend every free minute in Minerva’s office when they are not in lessons or when curfew has not passed, it will be that way until we can deal with them. As for how long you have been out, it has been about 2 hours don’t worry, Little Prince.”

* * *

 

Severus looked at his child, pale, worn and almost colourless on the dark purple duvet that his son was buried in. Just hours ago he had apparated into a scene that had taken years off his life. His child pale lifeless and bleeding from multiple wounds across his back. 

_ Flashback _

_ Severus nearly had got a heart attack when the disillusioned ring on his finger that tied to the health of his little one started vibrating while heating up to almost unbearable temperatures. He knew it could only mean one thing, and he could only pray to mother magic above that he would be in time to save the precious child he called his son. Suddenly he felt an infusion of magical power and he knew that Lady Magic and Lady Hogwarts was on his side. He quickly dismissed his class that had been gaping gormlessly at him while he stared off in the distance and panicked internally. He let the magic of Lady Hogwarts envelope him and followed the link between his ring and Sidor’s armband and did the impossible in Hogwarts and apparated.  _

_ Instantly he bounced into action, he will not let his child slip away from him, he instantly bound and immobilised the menace duo knowing that they were the responsible for this crisis. He knelt down at his child’s side and sent diagnostic spell after diagnostic spell trying to figure out what had happened. He sucked in a breath when he realized how close his imp was to complete body paralyzation. He sent off a Patronus to Minerva to come and collect the trash and to warn her to keep it from Albus Dumbledore, reassured Sidor’s little friend before immobilizing and splinting his son’s entire body and levitating his son back into his quarters.  _

_ Unsurprisingly to him, he found both his pseudo parents in his quarters, he had missed them severely and knowing they were there to help him in this crisis soothed that still panicking part of his soul. He looked around a little more and noticed the canine couple in his rooms as well, and he was mortified to find himself feeling a little gratified about his choice of picking them to be his child’s godparents. And judging from the worried faces on the couple, he was more than justified and correct in his faith in them.  _

_ “Okay, Healer Prince where do you want us?” _

_ The subtle reminder to his professional identity gave him a kick in the tuchus, and he switched immediately into his Professional healer mode and started snapping out orders exactly how he would towards another Healer. They were going to heal his son, and nothing was going to stop him.  He could vaguely feel Lady Hogwarts and Lady Magic almost surge in him in agreement. _

_ Flashback End  _

Back to the present though, he watched as the energy of Sidor faded quickly, and the little boy was basically panting even though he was simply lying on the bed. Even the simple act of looking around and asking questions and drained him completely. He quickly summoned a few potions and coaxed the little boy to drink them down, before starting to card his fingers through the unruly mop knowing that it was the one thing that never failed to put him to sleep. 

* * *

 

The next time Sidor woke, he knew what he was expecting, but there was so still no stopping the immediate swell of panic that welled up in him when he remembered that he could move anything below his neck. Even the soothing voice of his grandma reading a Charles Dicken classic out loud was unable to soothe his mindless panic. 

“Okay little Fledgling, I know you are awake. Let us start with a little morning mindfulness, shall we? To calm that busy noisy mind of yours, everything will be okay I promise you. Right Sidor, breath in, hold one two, out one-two. Follow that breathe little Fledgling, draw your attention to the physical sensation of breathing: the air moving through your nose or mouth, the rising and falling of your little belly. Focus your attention on your little belly, feel that belly move and down. Open your eyes small one, feel the bed sheet that is touching you,  feel the cool air that is moving over your body. Okay, my beloved grandson, return to me. Look at me young one, it’s going to be okay, we will get through this together.”

Sidor unconsciously followed the instructions of his grandmother, and he could feel his panic receding. He opened his mouth wanting to ask his grandmother where his dad was, but his voice died with him. He could feel the dark tendrils of depression and the feelings of worthlessness start to grapple again at him. He was 100% reliant on his grandparents and father for everything for a minimum of two days and a maximum of the rest of his life. How on earth, and why on earth would anyone want to take care of such a useless freak like him? A almost soundless “thank you” was pretty much the only thing he could force his throat to croak out. 

To his relief, however, his grandmother did not notice his turmoil and instead and magicked a damp hand toilet into existence and had started wiping his unmoving hands and feet, while his grandfather meandered into the room with a tray in his hands. 

“Okay, Little Colt, while I know you can control wandless magic to feed yourself, but we want you to save your magic to heal rather than expend it needlessly. Please allow me to feed you?”

Sidor looked at his grandfather and he could feel the dark void of depression drawing closer,  _ he was even reliant on his family to eat there was no redeeming factor for the useless lump of human he was _ . He gave a weak nod to his grandfather, tightly occluding away his apathy and melancholy until he could deal with it later. 

* * *

 

The two days passed quickly, the hours blended together and Sidor quickly lost track of time, and his imprisonment seemed to stretch on endlessly. He rarely spoke even when his grandparents and Dad coaxed him into banter, he rarely responded. His father popped in as much as he could and every night he fell asleep in his father arms as he had always done all the years ago when he was bedridden in the first few days of him coming to live with his Dad. His grandfather and father took turns to help him shower, and his grandmother sat with him every day and fed him. Both his grandparents took turns to read to him and talk to him or even each other when he was in the room. While his godparents did all they could to entertain him and make him feel normal while basically helping him to take care of his toiletry or human needs. While he appreciated what his grandparents, his godparents and his Dad did for him, he couldn't help but feel like a burden and that behind his back the three adults could not wait to get rid of him. 

Now it was finally the morning of the third day from the attack, and today was the day that his father was going to remove the immobilizing spell and see that is he was indeed going to be walking out of their quarters. And for some reason, he could not shake the anxiety that was threatening to swallow him whole. 

  
  
  



	24. Et Reddes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Et Reddes - (Latin) The Fallout

Severus walked into the room that had basically served as his son recovery room for the past few days. Unsurprisingly, both the mutts and his parents were already there in the room, waiting for him and distracting his child. Severus knew that the past few days had been hard on his little Prince,  the emotions he felt coming through the empathic link that they shared had shaken him to his core. However, he knew that there was nothing he could do when his child was laid up on the bed, Sidor will not listen, and instead would hide his feelings and lock them under his occlumency shields. He is going to keep a closer eye on his child. He knew that recovery was not linear and he could see his child was really struggling from a mile away.

“Okay little Prince, time for the spell to be removed. I’m sure you are itching to run around and turn all my hair grey no?”

His little Prince swivelled his head to look at him, and the boy had a smile that was painted on, did not even reach halfway up to his eyes. Severus felt his heart pang, this was bad, he had not thought that the imp had backslid that badly.

Severus, chanted under his breath as he removed the imbolising spell and cast yet another diagnostic spell. The spell’s result that was spat out told him all that he needed to know.  

His imp was _okay…  His child will walk again…_

* * *

 

Hours later, limping and heavily leaning on a transfigured cane, (the nerves in his back were very very raw, and for the next week, walking was going to be tough, and that he had to rely on the cane that his father had transfigured for him. He had strict instructions from all of his parental units that if his back was hurting him too much that he was immediately to report to his father.) Sidor walked out of the Prince family quarters. Now, however, both he and his father had to deal with the two idiots that had landed him in the bed in the first place.  The warm arm around his shoulder and the smell of asphodel, wormwood and cinnamon that told him it was his father that was supporting him, although it was not enough to calm his nerves completely and patch up the gaping chasm in him, it was enough to give him a sense of temporary peace. There was a tight knot of emotions that he could feel churning behind his occlumency barriers that only multiplied when his Dad had lifted the spell and he only felt the pain in his back.

However, that was all for later, he needed to deal with his assailants.

* * *

 

Severus half carried his child into Minerva’s office, knowing that it was the day of the week that in the morning that first years Gryffindors had a free period. Upon entering the room,  he could not help but smirk at the resentful and yet fearful looks that Potter and Weasley instantly threw him and Sidor.

“Ah good, Professor Prince, good to see Mr Prince on his feet again. Tea?”

“Please, Thank You. Sidor go sit down, please. Professor McGonagall, may I borrow your floo, it seems to be time to call for the Aurors.”

“Sure, I will just inform the Headmaster. We do not have enough authority when cases are of  this calibre.”

Within minutes, the small office filled with people, Madam Bones and one backup Auror, who Sidor later learned was Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Headmaster also joined the party. The small office now contained 8 people, and Severus could feel his little Prince start to burrow into his side a little more. He knew that his child was slightly claustrophobic, ( _and let’s be honest who won’t be after the early childhood that he had?)_ , so he drew his child closer to him and started to feed him calming magic, knowing that his little one needed help to make it out of the accusation in one piece.  

“Ah, good to see you again my boys, now now no need to call in the Aurors, I’m sure that this is all a misunderstanding.”

“No, headmaster, I’m bringing up Mr Potter and Mr Weasley up on assault charges, they could have murdered Sidor. Unlike what your overdeveloped cranium might envisage, it is not a misunderstanding. Madam Bones, would you take over?”

“Thank you, Lord Prince. Mr Prince, would it be all right for me to -”

“-Ah, Amelia, this is all a schoolyard boyhood tussle. No need to involve these prestigious gentlemen.”

“No Albus, there has been a charge brought forth, regardless, I am here to do my job. Mr Prince, may I have the memo-”

“Ah Amelia, My dear friend this is all a small misunderstanding. There really is no nee-”

Madam Bones glared at the twinkling-eyed Headmaster and silenced him with a twitch of her wand.

“Enough Albus, I am here to do my job and you will stop interrupting me, and that is your last warning or I will take you up on obstruction of justice. Now Mr Prince, will you be willing to part with your memories of the event?”

Severus looked at his son for permission and with the timid nod he got back he raised his wand and gently pulled the memory of the assault from the head buried into his side. He pulled an empty vial from his charmed bottomless pockets and placed the silvery memory inside, before handing it over to Madam Bones. Madam Bones then turned to the Menace Duo and regardless of their protest pulled their memories as well.

“Thank you, Lord Prince, as for Mr Potter and Mr Weasley, due to DMLE regulations as they both are minors, a tracking and monitoring bracelet will be placed on them for the period of the investigations, for minors are not be held in custody unless they have committed an unforgivable crime. So, Mr Potter and Mr  Weasley please bare your wrist to Auror Shacklebolt over here.”

“Now Mr Potter and Mr Weasley, before I deduct 50 points each from Gryffindor.”

Immediately after hearing the stern tones of Professor McGonagall, the burgeoning protest from both the miscreants ceased and they both sullenly gave their wrist to the Auror, while the Headmaster seemed to look on in disappointment. ( _Too bad for him that this was the beginning of the end for him and the Potters.)_  

“Okay Lord Prince, Professor McGonagall, and Mr Prince, we will investigate this matter thoroughly and inform you and the accused of the court date and our findings.”

Two hours later found Sidor surrounded by his friends as they sat by the lake, where it had all started. His friends were trying their best to avoid the elephant in the group as they caught Sidor up to the multitude of happenings around the castle as he was out recovering. After 30 minutes of hearing all his friends or rather Hermione and Draco rattle on about this person or the other being caught together or what is the latest charm they had learned in Charms and how strange it was not to have him helping them in lessons. He had enough, he knew his friends had his best interest at heart but he honestly just did not have the energy to be a good friend or even hold a decent conversation as the swirl of emotions under his occlumency shields picked up speed and threatened to take over.

“Hey guys, I’m exhausted I’m going to take a nap, to be ready for lessons tomorrow. It’s been a long day, I will see you all at dinner.”

Sidor murmured as he stood up, he needed to just take a moment and deal with all the emotions he was feeling and him keeping being surrounding by people was not helping. Before he could leave however, Neville stood up.

“Heir Prince, your quick actions three moons ago, saved me, and possibly my life. The House of Longbottom in your debt.” Here Neville knelt down and much to the horror of Sidor, Draco and Hermione sank to their knees as well. “The houses of Malfoy, Longbottom and Granger are in your debt,” Draco continued.

However, before they could continue with the formal ceremony, Sidor twitched his wand and brought all of them to their feet.

“There is no debt between the house of Prince and the Houses of Malfoy, Longbottom and Granger. You three are my friends, I do not expect or will accept repayment.”

Sidor smiled at them shyly and walked off.

What he did not see was the three friends that he left behind all exchanging looks, they knew that Sidor will never accept any sort of repayment, but the reality was that he had saved them at the expense of his own health, and all three of them would do their best to protect and care for their friend that had somehow wormed into their hearts instantly.

* * *

 

Sidor quickly scrambled back into his dorm room, knowing that during this period most of the first year Ravenclaws would either be in the library or the common room, he was not surprised that he found himself alone in the dorm. He quickly drew the curtains around his bed before curling up at the head of the bed. Sidor activated the privacy and silencing charms around his bed before letting his occlumency shields fall. He knew that the empathetic link between him and his dad would be going crazy, so he put all of his considerable power to blocking and muting the link on his side and let go. Instantly the emotions swamped him, and he started rocking back and forth in his bed, he scrambled through most of the grounding techniques that his grandma had brought him through but none of them seemed to work, he was floundering in the emotional tempest and no matter what he was trying to do he did not seem to be able to swim to the surface, he was drowning.  

Sidor twitched his fingers and he transfigured one of the numerous pillows he had lying on his bed into a switchblade that resembled the first one he ever had. (Within the first week of him living in Ravenclaw tower, he had made his grandparents send him 3 of his favourite stuffed toys and 4 of the pillows he had always slept with in Prince Manor. It had reminded him of home and it had allowed him to sleep peacefully without nightmares most of the time ever since.) Sidor stared wordlessly at the knife blade that laid innocently and his navy blue and dotted with stars coverlet, it had been a long time since he had lost control so badly that he had transfigured a blade. Waves were roaring in his ears and his world narrowed down to the knife winking at him.

Haltingly, he reached out for the blade and rolled up his sleeve.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm a terrible person, it's been almost 3 weeks, but I have no excuse. But here's a cliffie? heh.


	25. Iuvo Mihi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iuvo Mihi - (Latin) Help me

_ He couldn’t do it.  _ He froze staring at the blade and his scar-ridden arm. ( _ He had used his metaphoragus powers during day to day life to hide and disguise his scars but now he had shifted his disguise away, it reminded him his past and how much he missed it.)  _ He desperately pushed his magic into the arm cuff that was on his arm and activated it.  _ He needed his Daddy right now.  _

Severus slumped down into his couch, settling down after an eventful morning and yet another class of dunderheads he had to teach. He thanked all things magical that he had a break between most of his classes and settled down into his fluffy cushion ready for a cup of coffee and some marking. Suddenly, a wash of distress hit him through the link he shared with his child and he desperately sent the comfort and love to him as he surged to his feet. A pop sounded and the very child he was ready to run to appeared right in front of him. His son stood right in front of him shaking, a blade in his hand, his sleeve rolled up, silent tears rolling down his face. 

“Da...Dad… Help…. Help me…”

Severus' heart stopped, instantly he kicked back into his healer training refusing to let his emotional father instincts kick in and terrify and push away his child. 

“Okay Sidor, can you put down the knife?”

“I… ca… can’t! Dad!” 

Harry was on the verge of panic, his fingers were not responding and no matter what he did his hand seemed frozen around the blade. 

Severus quickly re-calculated his moves and actions he needed to talk his child down and continued. 

“It's okay, my little one, hey! Hey! Look at me, take one step forward Sidor, that’s it. A few more little one, come to me. It’s okay, you are safe here. Come to my arms, Sidor. That’s it, move towards  me.”

Severus kept his voice soothing and opened his arms towards his child. Slowly but surely he coaxed Sidor into his arms and quickly he wrapped his arms around the small trembling body, and with deft fingers pried the blade from his child before banishing it. 

Harry felt the warmth of his father surround him and the part of him that was screaming in panic and drowning in despair quieted and it was almost as if the tension in his body drained away. He barely noticed when his dad pried the blade out of his hand. All he cared about was the fact that the arms around him seemed to ground him in the tempest of his emotions. 

Severus could feel when his son melted into him and the tension in his body faded. While he knew it was not over, there was a well of relief that flowed through him that Sidor was no longer standing on the edge. Gently he coaxed his little one to sit down on the couch with him and dragged him closer into his arms. 

“It’s okay little one, let it out, your daddy is here. Let it out, you will feel better afterwards. I have you, little one. Let it out, little one. I will be here to catch you when you fall.”

Severus started to tenderly stroke the shaking back, and slowly but surely the shaking decreased in frequency but increase in intensity. He knew that his child was finally crying, his shirt started to get wetter, and he could feel the death grip his little Prince had on his robes get tighter and his son tried even harder to bury himself into 

“My little Prince, I am here, do you need to talk to me?”

“Da...d” 

Sidor stared at his father, a wave of embarrassment and shame crashed over him, he had no idea what he was going to do now. He had fallen back onto his vices and had almost relapsed at the same time, he had not scratched the itch and there is a part of him that was still  screaming that he could run away, hide in a corner and finally  _ finally _ itch the itch that had been bugging him ever since he had stopped five years ago. He had no idea how to even start to talk to or even explain what was running through his head or even his heart at the moment. 

“My little one, it’s okay, will you let me in?”

Sidor stared at his father, he knew what his dad was asking, and he was very conflicted. He did not know if he could face the shame of his father knowing how far he had fallen, how far he had backslid, how far he had messed up.  _ How much he was a freak. _ At the same time, another part of him was so very tired. He just wanted his Dad to take the burden to lighten his load and he was just so  _ so cold.  _

“Sidor, I love you, you know regardless of what happens you know that I find I will always love you. You are my son, and nothing will change that, understand that?”

The messy haired green eyed child nuzzled closer into his father’s arms before tilting his face up and the two pairs of eyes, one emerald and one obsidian meet. Instantly when their eyes connected, Severus was instantly overwhelmed by the emotions that crashed over him. 

* * *

 

Severus’s heart was shattering, he had no idea that his little one was suffering so much. The wave of emotions that crashed over him told him that it had not just been this incident, the feelings of worthlessness had started a long time before Sidor had been injured and laid up in bed. In that split second in which he was immersed in his son’s emotions,  he made a decision. He knew that Sidor would not be able to recover properly in Hogwarts, he would give their excuses and take him back home, and if he never wanted to return back to Hogwarts, then he would not force his child. His little one’s friends could come over whenever. That was  _ not _ a problem, what  _ is  _ a problem is how badly his child is hurting. 

“Mixie!”

“Master Severus! How Is bes helping?”

“Mixie pack up Sidor’s belongings and mine, we are going home.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay, I honestly have no excuse, especially since this chapter is so short. However, it seems like a good place to stop, sooooo oops?


	26. Relapsus est Bene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relapsus est Bene - (latin) Relapse is Okay

Sidor looked up at his father in surprise he may be slightly insensate, but he was not completely out of it yet. He was almost 100% sure that he had just heard his dad say that they were going home. 

Eerily as though his dad had heard his thoughts, the man in question immediately chimed in, “We are going home, My Prince.”

Well, that settled that, his dad could bring him to the end of the earth right at this moment and he will not care, just as long his dad does not let him go. 

* * *

 

“Master Severus, Mixie has done what Master Severus has asked. Is there anything else you want Mixie to do?”  
“Thank you Mixie, will you be able to pop us back home?”

“Mixie can!”

Mixie stretched out her hands and grabbed on to the robes that Severus and Sidor were wearing, and waited for Severus to give her the signal. At his nod, Mixie snapped her fingers and brought both of them into her young master’s room and silently popped away. 

Severus nodded in gratitude in her direction. Before turning around to give all his attention to the silent snuggle-bug that was trying his best to bury himself into his chest. 

“Okay little one, I need you to slowly let go, I am going to give both of us a nice shower before we take a little nap yes?”

Sidor just shook his head slightly before redoubling his efforts to bury himself into his father’s chest. Severus just sighed at what his child was doing, and instead of trying to detach his child from his chest just hoisted him up and carried him into the attached bathroom.

He magicked away both of their clothing and settled his child into the standing shower and turned on the water. Slowly he started to wash his child scrubbing and massaging the tense muscles that he could find all over his little prince. It scared Severus on a very visceral level how unresponsive and lifeless he was, apart from the death grip Sidor had on his wrist and the occasional quiet sniffle that the little boy gave out, he would truly be unable to tell if he were alive. 

Wrapping the shaking body up in a huge fluffy towel and quickly dried himself up before he tenderly towelling Sidor dry. He picked up his wand again and magicked both of them into the softest and comfiest pyjamas they had and carried his child into bed.

Severus could not help but smile when he saw Sidor’s bed, the house-elves have already gotten to it, pulling out and displaying all of Sidor’s favourite soft toys and pillows on it, creating a warm and welcoming little nest for his child. Nightshade was placed in the middle of the bed just waiting for his owner just cuddle into.  

He settled Sidor into the bed and placed Nightshade into the boy’s arm before curling up around him. Sidor slowly relaxed into him and pulled Nightshade closer into his arms, and slowly, he fell asleep. 

Severus could feel Morphesus pulling at him as well, he could tell his parents later. Sleep first.  _ Yes, that sounds like a very good idea…. _

* * *

 

Penerelle and Nicholas felt their wards go off in the family wing and they both quickly got onto their feet. The both of them may be old, but they were not defenceless, they exchanged a glance and pulled on the wards to allow them to apparate directly into the area that they had felt the disturbance.

Once their vision had cleared from their hasty apparition, their death grips on their wands relaxed. Their children were back in the house. They could and would get the story out of their children later,  but for now, they would let them sleep, they were in no hurry. 

* * *

 

Two hours later, Severus woke up more comfortable than he had been in a while.  Slowly he opened his eyes and he noticed a small head pressed into his side.  _ Sidor? _ Slowly he raised his hand and calmly ran his fingers through his child’s hair, as the memories started to fly through his mind. 

Slowly he disentangled himself from his little prince and walked himself to where the wards told him his pseudo parents were. 

“Nick, Pen, do you have a minute? There are things I need to talk to you about, about Sidor.”

“We have been waiting for you to wake Sev, we know that something must have happened for you to bring our little fledgeling and yourself home on such short notice.”

“It’s a long story Pen, Nick, and it’s not a happy one, brace yourself.”

 Nick and Pen just looked at him, before looking at each other. They both stood up and pulled the young man between them, both their parent senses going wild knowing their child needed some comfort. 

In between his surrogate parents, he could not help the tears that started to leak out of his eyes, quickly the storey tumbled out of him. The facts first, then how helpless he felt, and how much he just wanted to take the pain away from his child.

* * *

 

Pen and Nick glanced at each other as they both moved to cuddle the slightly shaking body between them, slowly trickling calming magic into him. They communicated silently through their bond, they quickly came to a decision that they could best protect the two precious souls under their charge. Nick shifted his son into his arms, pushing the head into his shoulder and continued to smooth the young man. Pen, on the other hand, slipped off the couch and started towards Sidor’s room intent on making sure the young man will not be alone when he woke. At the same time, she sent a Patronus towards the two other men that were residing in their manner, to let them know what was going on. 

They had two people to take care of, and they were going to make sure that they do not fail. 

* * *

 

Sidor woke up warm and comfortable, snuggling into the bed he quickly realized one important fact.  _ He was not in his dorm room. _ He instantly sat up straight and was immediately caught by a wave of vertigo. (His skipping of meals on an off the past few days was finally catching up to him, he was weak and unsteady.) He swayed on his bed and instantly firm warm hands steadied him, gently lay him back on his mountain of pillows. 

“My little fledgeling, don’t panic, yes you are home. Do you remember what happened?”

Hearing his Grandma’s voice he relaxed, allowing the soft hands to lower him down into the pillows. Instantly, memories of what happened yesterday flew through his mind, and the shame, the guilt started to creep in. Subconsciously, he started to scratch his arms, seeking the relief that pain offered him. 

The same hands that were lowering him instantly grabbed onto his hands and held onto them firmly, not allowing him to do any more damage to himself. The same hands started to pour calming magic into him, forcibly calming him down before he could do any further damage to himself. 

* * *

 

So started the long road to recovery that Sidor was back on, and he knew that regardless of what happened, his  _ family _ would always be there for him. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all y'all's patience as I got my shit together and continue writing. Question for all of you though, do you want me to write his recovery scene all just move on??


End file.
